


You Belong With Me

by PugsOfHouseTargaryen



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, F/M, Fluff and Humor, Mercy - Freeform, first fan fic, jock! Korra, nerd! Asami, purely experimental fic, tell me if you like it!
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-01
Updated: 2015-08-08
Packaged: 2018-03-20 16:47:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 58,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3657861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PugsOfHouseTargaryen/pseuds/PugsOfHouseTargaryen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CHANGED RATING TO MATURE FOR INCOMING CHAPTERS ;)</p><p>MODERN AU: </p><p>Korra has everything a regular highschooler could ask for, being the Team captain of Republic High Basketball Team, she has popularity, loyal friends, an amazing team, and she has a girlfriend, Kuvira.</p><p>Asami Sato has everything a regular highschooler could ask for, money, a loving father, a secure future due to Future Industries, and she's always the smartest of her class. </p><p>But are they really happy with what they have?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I plan on switching the point-of-view to be able to show the different thoughts both people have. 
> 
> Even though I listed other relationships, I guarantee, it's mostly Korrasami. 
> 
> Disclaimer: This is my first fanfic, so please be gentle. 
> 
> I will continue this if get enough feedback to know if people are reading it and if they want more.
> 
> Kudos, bookmarks, and comments are always appreciated!

_She was fucked._

Of all days to be late, it had to be today didn't it? She could almost swear the spirits that were supposed to protect her are only existed to fuck with her. She threw on her shirt and put on her pants only to realize she hasn't put any underwear on. _Fucking Spirits._

_I shouldn't have taken those last... 5, 10 shots._

Quickly removing everything to put her underwear on, she tried to remember what happened last night. Having won the last game, it was only natural for the team to celebrate, and what good is a team without their team captain? After the adrenaline rush caused by winning the game subsided, Opal suggested they celebrate. At first, it was relatively innocent, just a simple get together of the team at the local bar, then P'Li suggested they play a game of Spin the Bottle. Korra, being the brash, impulsive person she was, with the help of alcohol of course, didn't have to think twice about it.

As fate has it, the bottle landed on Kuvira during Korra's turn. _Of course it had to_. Once again, she has more evidence to file a law suit against the spirits. Eventually, one thing led to another, and she realized only once she woke up that the night ended in her bed.

Speaking of the devil, she looked at the bed, realizing that Kuvira was no where to be found. _Typical_.

Her relationship with Kuvira was already complicated as it was. Everyone knew they were a thing. May it be a sad, broken, lonely _thing_ , but it was still a thing. They were an on and off couple. Korra had to admit, she used to find those couples sad and desperate, but here she was, a helpful addition to that sad and desperate pile of patheticness. She constantly thought about finally breaking up with Kuvira, but she couldn't do it. Kuvira may be an ass, but maybe Korra liked the attention. Whenever they were out, Kuvira would publicly display her claim on Korra, wrapping her arm around Korra's shoulders, grabbing her ass in public, suddenly make-out with her whenever other people were trying to grab Korra's attention. _I wouldn't be surprised if she peed on me like a dog just to claim her territory one day._

In a beanie, jeans and a hoodie, Korra grabbed her key and locked the door of her apartment, ran as fast as she could towards Republic High. It wasn't that far, thank the Spirits, around 10 minutes away. She ran like Vaatu himself was behind her. To be honest, she'd rather face Vaatu than have to deal with Professor Tenzin's wrath. Bursting through the school's front doors, she thought the guy was really like a second father to her if she was being completely honest. Not only was he a Chemistry teacher, but he was also the Republic High Basketball Team Coach. Naturally, being the team captain meant more time spent with him than anyone else.

 _Finally_ reaching the Chemistry lab, Korra entered, hands on her knees, realizing that everyone was already here and staring at her. _Praise Raava they aren't doing anything yet,_ she thought to herself. She slowly rose up, plastered on a smile for Tenzin, who looked like he was about to have a stroke, with a vein throbbing on his forehead and his face turning red.

 _That guy could really use a vacation, his bald head might just pop with all that blood rushing to his head_. she chuckled to herself.

Mustering up the cheeriest tone she could manage in hopes to get away with being late, "Hey Tenz-!",

Tenzin raised a hand up to stop her. "Don't bother Korra. I don't even want to hear your excuse this time."

She smirked, "Damnit, I was really looking forward to using the "My dog ate my underwear" excuse!"

 _I could think of other things that ate my underwear last night_ , she thought cheekily and grinned to herself. But Tenzin didn't need to know that.

Somehow, Tenzin looked like he read her mind, or her face just said everything, considering his blush and the way he sputtered, "Ju-just grab a seat Korra."

She patted him on the head and looked around for an empty seat. She spotted one next to a girl whose back was facing Korra. She sauntered over to that chair and almost face planted on the floor. While Korra was walking towards the seat, the girl turned around and _flipped_ her long raven black hair in the most stunning way possible. For a moment, Korra felt like she wasn't in school, but filming for a shampoo commercial instead. _I swear to the Spirits, I saw that flip in slow motion_. The girl was simple enough though. She wore a loose shirt that almost but not quite slipped off her shoulders, a simple pair of jeans, and scuffed sneakers that probably seen better days. She wore thick framed glasses and her hair was loose. Korra could tell she was one of the shy nerds that usually hang out in the corners of the room. She didn't mean to judge so quickly, it was simply automatic for Korra since she was the most popular girl in school. But something about this girl seemed so familiar. Korra's pretty sure she's seen her around, but never had the chance to actually interact with her.

In hopes of keeping her cool, Korra pretended like nothing happened and played her almost fall like she saw something very interesting on the floor. She looked back up and saw the familiar girl looking back at her, but quickly looked away once she saw Korra look back. _Shy nerd girl she is, then_ , Korra thought.

Neither said a word once Korra reached her seat. The girl looked as uncomfortable as one can get, playing with the ends of her hair, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt, flicking imaginary dirt from her surprisingly manicured nails. Korra, on the other hand, kept trying to figure out on why this girl seemed so familiar. Korra was disreetly looking over at the girl. It wasn't until the girl leaned back and Korra saw the front of her shirt, the design something like a shark with eyebrows, when she finally figured it out.

She exclaimed with a grin taking place, "I know you!"

The girl jumped at Korra's outburst, but turned to her anyway, "You do?"

Korra wondered, _She looks surprised._

_Korra was cramming all her projects that were due the next day. She probably should have done it earlier, she knows. But no matter how many nights she stayed up just to finish her work, she still hasn't learned her lesson. It was the way she worked. If people had a problem with that, they have to deal with it._

_So there she was in her room, which looked like it was destroyed by a giant robot manned by a crazy ass bitch, when she heard music coming from outside her window. She wouldn't call it "music" per se, considering it was seriously off key, but hey, who was she to judge? Korra internally cringed at the time she was drunk during karaoke night with Bolin, Mako and Opal. She walked over to her window to check where the music was coming from, only to realize it was coming from next door. She peeked through her window, but careful as to not be seen, since she was only wearing a sports bra and sweatpants (WHAT? IT'S COMFORTABLE!) In the house right next to hers, directly across her window was a girl who seemed to be dancing to a Taylor Swift song. (Is it You Belong With Him? Belong With It? Belong With... Korra was never really good at remembering things.) But "dancing" wasn't the term Korra would use either. What do you call flailing your arms around and rocking your head in all possible directions? Now she was jumping on her bed. Now she was whipping her hair. Now she was singing into her hairbrush. Korra couldn't really hear her, but she knew she was singing her lungs out, which might explain her serious off key-ness._

_Korra didn't even notice, but she was grinning like an idiot watching the other girl. She seemed so care-free, like she has not one worry in the world, like she has the whole world in her hands. Korra really wanted to be that girl right now, but obviously she couldn't. So Korra went back to her work, but she couldn't wipe the grin off her face._

Korra grinned even wider at the memory, "You bet!"

The girl noticed Korra's grin and said with a bit of terror in her voice, "Do I want to know how you know me?" 

 _Damnit, am I that readable?_  , Korra thought.

Korra shrugged with a smirk, "Probably not, but I'll give you a hint, I live right next to you."

The girl smiled, but before she could say anything in reply, Korra interrupted her.

Korra face-palmed herself, "Ugh, I haven't even introduced myself, I'm Korra!" she said with a grin.

The girl smiled, "I know."

Korra raised her eyebrow at that and smirked, and the girl, seeming to realize what she said just now and it was her turn to face-palm herself.

The girl blushed strongly while sputtering, "Oh my Spirits... Uhhhh... I mean..."

Korra just laughed whole-heartedly, "It's alright, it's alright. Do I want to know how you know me?" Smirking at her clever play in words.

The girl's blush lessened and sticking her tongue out, "Probably not, but I'll give you a hint, I live right next to you." 

They laughed together and was eventually interrupted by Tenzin (Something told Korra, this wasn't the first time he interrupted them. _But that's impossible, I only met her now._ Korra thought with a shake of her head) and the lecture started soon after. 

Class was pretty much uneventful for Korra, but that's how it always was with her if she were honest. She would always find something else more interesting to focus on. Right now it was the girl next to her. It was really obvious that she was listening to Tenzin really hard. Korra sighed with relief, she wouldn't get caught sneaking glances at her because it seemed like nothing would break her concentration, so Korra openly observed her. She was putting all her attention in front, not even looking down when she writes down notes on her notebook. Her eyes were always ahead, staring so intently at the lesson in front that it seemed like she was trying to bore holes unto Tenzin's forehead with just her eyes. Occasionally, her eyebrows would scrunch up as if she didn't get something, but something told Korra that she understood everything being taught while Korra was getting nothing. Korra didn't know why this girl was so interesting to her, but somehow she just couldn't look away.

Eventually, the lecture came to a close and Korra didn't even notice it. She was still too busy looking at this girl beside her. The girl seemed to be busy reviewing her notes and correcting some of them, but to Korra, it looked perfect. _Just like her,_ Korra thought.  _Woah, where did that come from?_   She shook her head. This girl didn't even look that special, Korra's groupies seemed much more attractive, but something about this girl was just so captivating.

The girl looked up from her notes and glanced at Korra, who tried to play off her staring by looking away immediately. The girl stood up and started to pack her things in her tote bag, which made Korra jump and start to pack her stuff as well, (though not much, because she didn't even use any of it.) 

Once almost everyone was gone from the classroom, the girl picked up her bag and slung it over her shoulder and faced Korra, "So I'll see you around?" 

 _Is it me, or did she sound hopeful?_ Korra thought

Eager to get to know this girl more, Korra said quickly, "Yeah, definitely!" 

Realizing how eager she sounded, Korra tried to play it off, "I mean, we live right next to each other, and... we study in the same school... you know..."

The girl could probably sense how awkward Korra was and tried to contain her laughter behind her hand, "Yeah, I guess we do." she said with a gentle smile.

She started to walk out but once she turned around, she did another  _heart-stopping hairflip_ over her shoulder, and Korra wasn't kidding about heart-stopping, because she could almost  _swear_ her heart stopped for a second, but not before she got a whiff of jasmine.  _Spirits, I never really like jasmine but now I want more of it. Damnit, where are these thoughts coming from?!_

Korra stood there, paralyzed, when she realized something.

She moved to grab the girl's wrist and when she did, she felt like electricity was coursing through her, starting from her fingertips, all the way to her toes. She jumped back, shocked at the sudden feeling, when she heard a familiar voice coming from the door, "Hey babe!"

Korra jumped at the voice, turning to see Kuvira standing by the doorway and walking towards her, "Ready to go?" wrapping an arm around Korra's shoulders and looking suspiciously at the girl across them.

Korra shook her head, looked up confusedly at her girlfriend before looking back at the girl in front of her. "Yeah, just give me a second."

Kuvira raised her eyebrows and narrowed her eyes at the girl in front of them, before huffing and walking out.

Korra turned back to the girl in front of her, rubbing the back of her neck, "Sorry about that, she gets overprotective sometimes."

_Overprotective, snort, sometimes, SNORT HARDER.  
_

Getting back to herself, she smiled sheepishly at the girl, "It's really rude of me, but I never caught your name." 

The girl grinned even wider, and  _Wow,_ Korra was stunned for a moment.

The girl stuck out her hand, "My name's Asami."

Korra took her hand and gave her a lopsided grin, "And I'm Korra." Her eyes widened, "But you already knew that." she laughed nervously. Realizing their hands were still connected, Korra took it back but immediately regretted it because suddenly her hand felt very cold and empty.

Hearing a cough from behind her, Korra turned around to find Kuvira leaning against the doorframe with her arms crossed.

Korra turned back to Asami, saying with a bit of hesitation, "I guess I have to go now."

Asami was looking at Kuvira when she spoke, "Yeah I guess you do." Focusing her attention on Korra with a smile.

 

\-----------------------------------------

 

Once Korra left, Asami looked back to her table, making sure she didn't forget anything. Once she was sure, she made her way out of the classroom and locking the door behind her. From where she was standing, she could still see Korra and her girlfriend Kuvira in the hallway, but something seemed off between them. 

With a shrug, Asami headed towards her locker. She never really interacted with anyone out of pure enjoyment. Mostly, when she talks to someone, it's usually when she has to. So when Korra, _the most popular girl in school,_  went up to her and actually  _had a conversation_ with her, she was surprised. But that didn't mean she didn't like it.

With a sigh, she closed her locker door and headed towards her next class. She really hoped that she could get closer with Korra and be her friend, if not anything else.

 _But I sure do hope we can be more than that._ She thought as she entered her next class.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is put in Asami's point of view and offers a bit of background and some hints on what her conflict is.
> 
> HEADS UP: This chapter is still somewhat part of the introduction, so please bear with me because I still am setting up the story so we can go somewhere properly. Thanks!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright let's do this haha!
> 
> You guys don't know how happy I am right now! It's my first fanfic and I got so much good feedback (in my standards at least) 
> 
> Okay, I'm sorry. I'll stop. I'm just on a high right now! (Not that kind, don't worry)
> 
> BUT SERIOUSLY,
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos, bookmarks, and comments guys! You really brighten up my day! I really hope I an live up to your expectations in the following chapters, especially this one.
> 
> Alright here we go :)
> 
> I'm sorry in advance for typos and grammatical errors. I don't have a beta reader haha.

Asami slid through her front door and closed it before leaning on it with a sigh of relief.

Today was especially tiring for her, but  _thankfully,_ nothing exceptionally badhappened to her. A few glares and whispers here and there as she passed through the hallways, but nothing she doesn't already experience everyday. As usual, no one paid her any attention during band practice, leaving her and her clarinet to their own devices.

As a student in Republic High, it was bound for everyone to run into bumps in the road, but  _of course,_ Asami seemed to get the worst of the blow. She never really felt like she belonged anywhere. It was as if the universe was playing a cosmic joke on the heiress, and she wasn't in on the joke. 

"I thought I had a weird sense of humor." she grumbled as she picked herself up and headed towards her bedroom.

Supposedly, being the heiress to a multi-billion international company meant she had it easy, but maybe that was just selfish thinking, or hopeful wishing, or desperate pleas, whatever you want to call it. _Really, what's the point of having every materialistic thing I can dream of, if I can't even have the simple things, like friendship and acceptance?_ she thought as she entered her room and plopped down on the bed. Her bedroom was the only place where Asami could let her guard down and be whoever she wanted to be.

Staring at the ceiling, Asami strained her ears for a sign of her father being home. Being in a large, yet empty mansion meant that sounds echoed easily down each hallway, which meant that Asami could easily hear her father, Hiroshi Sato, speaking on the phone.  _Probably thinking of ways to make the world a better place,_ she thought to herself with a small smile.

Her father was the only person in the world Asami could call her friend. He was the person she always went to if she needed someone to talk to, he always listened to her ideas, if he wasn't at work, he was spending time with her, and he always managed to stay close to her, even after her mom died. With him, Asami could be who she really was, brilliant, smart, and beautiful, but when she was at school, no one seemed to notice this side of her or they refused to see this side of her at all. They all believed she was just daddy's little girl, but she knows she can handle herself. They all believed that she only got accepted in Republic High because of her father, and not because the authorities found her intellectual level superior. They were all hell bent into making sure her life was miserable.

If she were being completely honest, Asami doesn't completely blame them for treating her like shit. She could blame them for her not having any friends, or being bullied in school, but she admits, it's her fault as well. She  _allows_ these things to happen. She believes that if she allows this to continue,  _maybe, just maybe,_ they'll leave her alone, or better yet, they'll see her for who she really was. 

With a sigh, she got up from her bed and walked towards her dresser to change. Earlier this morning, Asami chose to wear her favorite shark with eyebrows shirt. She didn't know why, but she always felt like laughing everytime she wore it, so she wore it as much as possible.

For tonight, she chose to wear her loose crop top that had the print,  _Do The Thing,_ in front and platypus-bear print pajama pants. Asami loved wearing loose things, it gives her a sense of freedom.  _Wow that was really cheesy,_ she thought with a shake of her head. 

After making sure everything was ready for tomorrow, Asami plopped down on the bed again and taking off her glasses. She couldn't help but think about her day.

It started out relatively normal.

_Once the sun was up, Asami opened her eyes and stretched before going through her everyday routine; study in advance for the lessons of the day, practice a little bit of martial arts, have breakfast with her father, dress up, brace herself for the day. She didn't think anything special would happen today, so she put very little effort into making herself look good. She left the mansion early, like she did everyday, without so much as a glance toward the house beside hers. It was a lot smaller compared to her own, but it was decent in size and looked very homey. She didn't know much about the homeowners, all Asami knew is that they had a daughter (Koru? Torra? Asami wasn't really good at names) that was around the same age as her and went to the same school. Asami's pretty sure she's seen her around but never really gave much thought into it, the heiress tends to mind her own business. With a shrug, she continued to walk towards Republic High, it being 20 minutes away if she took her time, and around 5 minutes away if she used a car. Being way too early for a bus, Asami could always drive there with her car, she doesn't because she feels like she's only giving the satisfaction of being right to the people who believe she's just a rich girl._

_As usual, she was the first to arrive of her batch. Typically, seniors were known to be laid back and very few students actually still cared about their grades. Asami was one of those few. Sitting in a chair she was certain no one would pay extra attention to her, she opened her notebook and started scanning through her notes. She didn't have to work very hard for her grades though. The school didn't teach anything that Asami hasn't learned yet in her younger years._

_Slowly, students started filing into the classroom and took their respective seats. Soon the class was nearly filled to the brim. Asami chose a good chair to sit in, no one chose to sit beside her thus leaving her alone. Everyone was with their respective group of friends, chatting animatedly about the hottest parties and the latest fashion trends, Asami rolled her eyes. She preferred being alone, really. It meant she didn't have to go through any awkwardness, like small talk._

_Eventually, Professor Tenzin came into the classroom with  wind in his cape (Asami doesn't know why he chooses to wear a cape, and she thought she had a weird fashion sense.) and he soon started checking the attendance. This went on normally as well, everyone raising their hands lazily or saying "Here" in the sleepiest tone possible when their names were called. It wasn't until Professor Tenzin called out,_

_"Korra?"_

_Everyone looked around when there wasn't a response after the name was called. Wait, that couldn't be my neighbor right? Asami thought to herself as she started looking around in search of this mystery woman._

_As if on cue, a few seconds later, a girl bursted through the classroom doors panting, with an idiotic smile on her face. So this is my mystery neighbor, Asami thought as she went up to Tenzin, as if to explain her being late. Asami studied the girl, wondering why the name sounded so familiar. With a little push of the world famous Sato Intellectual Powers, Asami realized that this girl was THE Korra. As in, captain of the basketball team Korra, heartthrob Korra, DROP DEAD GORGEOUS KORRA. She seemed so effortlessly cool in her hoodie and beanie, or maybe it wasn't her clothes, maybe it was just her. Asami realized that she was staring at her a bit too long so she quickly turned to the other direction in hopes to not get caught, while subconsciously fidgeting with her clothes._

_Damnit, Asami thought, I should have put more effort in dressing up._

_When Asami did turn around though, Korra was looking at her with wide eyes and looked as if she just had a mini heartattack. I wonder what caused that, Asami thought._

_After the awkward formalities were exchanged, they seemed hit it off immediately. Asami wondered why Korra was even talking to her, Korra was the most popular girl in school! Yet it seemed as if Korra wanted to be her friend. Asami wouldn't want to get her hopes up though. There were too many times when someone would be nice to her, only to use her, either for her intellect or her wealth. But somehow with Korra, that seemed false. She seemed to genuinely want to know Asami better._

_Class went by quickly, with her listening to every detail Professor Tenzin had taught to the class. Was it her, or did Asami notice Korra sneaking glances at her?_

_Soon enough, class ended. As part of routine, Asami was ready to bolt out of the classroom, but something made her stay and try to talk to Korra. It was going well, so she decided not to push her luck and say goodbye._

_What Asami didn't expect was Korra reaching out for her. Nor did she expect the electricity that coursed through her veins caused by the touch. She looked to Korra, and judging by the look on the other girl's face, Asami wasn't the only one who felt that. Asami looked into Korra's eyes, and realized,_

_Wow, Asami thought, those are the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen._

_The moment was ended though when Korra's girlfriend got impatient and eventually Korra had to leave, after their farewells of course._

_Even after Korra left, Asami couldn't get rid of the blush on her cheeks, no matter how hard she tried._

Asami opened her eyes, realizing she was blushing again.  _Damnit, Asami. Pull your self together._

She wondered what Korra was doing right now. If her wall clock was right, it was only 7:30pm. Suddenly, she heard an odd sound coming from outside. Suddenly curious, she decided to check it out. 

Once looking outside her window, one she never really looked out from, Asami saw light coming from directly across her window. Without really thinking about it, she leaned in closer to get a better look. She didn't have her glasses on so she couldn't see anything.

"Damnit, where are my glasses?" Asami mumbled to herself, while feeling for them around her room.

Finally finding the glasses on the bed, she walked over to the window before putting them on and,  _wow._

In the room directly across her own, Asami openly stared at the sight before her.

 _Sweet baby Jesus,_ Asami cursed.

The room was brilliantly lit, giving Asami an easier view. Korra was currently doing pull ups, the bar settled right in front of the window. Korra's back was facing her, but Asami couldn't say she didn't like the view. Everytime Korra pulled herself upwards, Asami could see her back muscles rippling with the effort, the slight sheen of sweat only increasing the effect. Korra was only clad in a sports bra and cycling shorts, so skintight that there wouldn't have been a difference if she were naked. The sounds Asami had been hearing were the grunts Korra was making, which sounded strangely animalistic and sensual.

 _Oh my Spirits,_ Asami thought as she blushed, all the blood that wasn't on her cheeks was rushing downwards between her legs.

Before Asami could do anything else, (like stare at her even more) Korra dropped down to the floor and was in the process of turning around and noticing Asami.

Asami immediately stumbled backwards, not wanting to get caught, and tripped on her clarinet case, which caused her to fall on her ass and make an embarrassing noise.

Apparently, the sound was loud enough for Korra to hear, because when Asami stood up, she saw Korra staring back at her with a shit eating smirk on her face.

In her embarrassment, Asami squeaked and immediately shut the curtains and leaned on the wall beside it. 

 _It's official,_ Asami thought,  _the universe hates me._

After a few seconds,  _which totally felt like hours,_ Asami opened her curtains a tiny bit before peeking out. 

Korra hasn't moved at all, the only thing that changed was her hands were now resting on her hips, but the same smirk was still on her face. 

Asami opened the curtain further in order to say something to Korra, who seemed to be taking in her crop top and pajamas resting low on her hips, but was cut off once Korra moved from her position to grab something on the table beside the window. A pad of paper and a marker, apparently.

With a confused expression, Asami watched the girl as she looked away from Asami to write something down on the paper.

Asami got the hint and moved to grab the same materials of her own.

A few seconds later, Asami returned just as Korra raised her pad;

 _Were u just checking me out, Salami?_ Korra had the same shit eating grin on her face.

Asami just stood there as she read, mouth opening and closing uselessly, pretty sure she looked like a fish.

Korra just laughed whole-heartedly as she leaned down to write something down again.

 _It's alright, just ask for permission next time, or not get caught_ ;)

Asami gained enough composure to raise an eyebrow at that and write down a reply,

 _Who said I was checking you out?_ with a defiant raise in Asami's chin

Korra smirked at that.  _Who said you weren't?_ as Korra raised an arm and flexed it.

Whatever composure Asami had gathered had once again been lost, reducing the usually composed girl into a fish once again.

 _I win._ Korra wrote with the biggest grin on her face.

Asami suddenly was struck by an idea and smirked. Though this was something Asami wouldn't usually do, something in Korra brought out the mischievous side of her.

 _Alright, you win._ Asami mock-bowed at Korra before faking a yawn.

_I always do :) You getting sleepy?_

_Yeah. Today was a pretty long day._

_Alright._ Korra hesitated for a moment before writing,  _So I'll see you tomorrow?_

Asami blushed slightly before smiling,  _Definitely :)_

_Goodnight Salami :)_

_Goodnight_

And Asami's plan commences.

Making sure Korra was still looking at her, Asami faked a yawn once again and stretched, causing her crop top to ride up and show more of her slightly muscled stomach and her hips, which were slightly showing due to her pajamas resting low on her hips.

Asami was satisfied with her revenge as she stole a look back to Korra, who's mouth was hanging open, her jaw on the floor and a bit of drool leaking from the corner of her lips.

Picking up her marker and pad, Asami wrote with a smirk,  _I win._

Korra visibly shook her head as if to get rid of the cobwebs that formed once her brain stopped functioning before writing with what seemed like much more effort than usually needed,  _You are the devil, Salami_

Asami replied with a wink before turning to close her curtains, but not before waving goodbye at Korra, who still seemed to be stuck where she was.

Asami plopped down once again on her bed with an idiotic grin on her face,  _She makes me feel... different. Like the person I want to be. Not the quiet, shy, rich girl. Just Asami._

Getting up to get under her covers, Asami yawned, for real this time, realizing that she actually was really tired.

As she drifted off to sleep, Asami thought of Korra once again.

 _Maybe tomorrow won't be so bad._ Asami thought as she finally succumbed to the darkness, still, with a smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG I just finished now (It's 11:14pm exactly here) cuz I was gone THE WHOLE DAY I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING.
> 
> Please be patient with me people, I remind you, this is my first fanfic. I am still setting up a proper introduction so the story can continue smoothly later on. Please stick with me on this!
> 
> Once again, kudos, comments and bookmarks are greatly appreciated! 
> 
> SO MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF YOU WHO LEFT FEEDBACK! <3


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Asami realize things. 
> 
> HOW VAGUE, I KNOW.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I had to delete this chapter and post it again due to technical problems. 
> 
> I'm sorry this was released so late. I finally arrived in San Francisco after a 12 hour flight. Come on guys, cut me some slack. ITS 6:45am IN SAN FRANCISCO.
> 
> This chapter's ever so slightly shorter than the last two, but hey, things are picking up if you ask me :)

Sunlight immediately invaded Korra's vision the moment she opened her eyes, realizing that she forgot to close her curtains before crashing on her bed.

As Korra rubbed the sleep off her eyes, a sound registered in her hearing. Looking around, she realized her phone was ringing.

_Mornings are evil..._

With a grunt, she sat up on the bed before reaching for her phone on her bedside table. She groaned. She had early morning training for the upcoming game with the team today. Her phone has been trying to wake her up for 30 minutes now. 

She slapped herself on the forehead. _Fuck, I am so screwed._ She thought as she jumped off the bed towards her bathroom. _No time for a shower now._

Just as she took off her clothes, she thought if she wanted to get there faster, she would need a ride. Doing a quick inventory of people she could ask, Korra decided her most likely option was Kuvira. Its was too early to ask anyone else for favors. She owes me for ditching me yesterday, she thought as she ran out of the bathroom to grab her phone and send a quick text to Kuvira.

Korra didn't make a habit of asking too much from Kuvira, because the girl wasn't too enthusiastic about doing things for other people. She was more of a "take and leave" kind of person. Kind of like their relationship. Kuvira would only come to her when she needed something, most of the time for sex. There was a time Korra enjoyed this, all pleasure and no drama, but if she were being completely honest, it was getting tiring. Kuvira would act all territorial around her, only to dispose of her when Kuvira go what she wanted. Korra was used to it by now, but it didn't make her any happier about it.

Just as she finished texting Kuvira, Korra remembered to turn on her Bose speakers and play her current favorite song, _Earned It by The Weekend._ It was her routine really. She always played music as she got ready for school, it got her pumped up. _Such a sexy song requires a sexy dance,_ she joked to herself as she started sexy dancing her way towards the bathroom.

Korra heard the door to her bedroom opening. She wanted to make a run for it, but she knew it was too late.

Just as she turned, her father, Tonraq, entered with a tray in his hands, "Korra, wake u-" he said before cutting himself off as his eyes registered Korra's current state of undress.

With a squeak from both father and daughter, both attempted to hide themselves, with Korra ran to her bathroom, her hands futilely attempting to cover herself as she went, and Tonraq quickly backing up and closing the door behind him.

About 15 seconds later, just as Korra exited her bathroom, this time with a towel on, Tonraq tried to enter her room again, but making sure he knocked first before entering.

The father and daughter stared at each other for a few seconds, which felt like hours, neither of them knowing what to say.

Korra, desperate to get rid of the awkward tension between them, said, "Uhm, dad?

Tonraq looked up, looking like he really wanted to be anywhere but not where he was, "Yeah?"

Korra rubbed the back of her neck, "Uhm, I have to go soon... So..."

Tonraq looked relieved, seemingly grateful for Korra changing the subject. "Yeah yeah! Of course, uhm, I'll just let myself out..." he said while backing up against the door like she might attack him if he wasn't careful.

As Tonraq closed the door behind him, Korra released a sigh of relief just as Tonraq burst in the room again.

"Sorry, sorry. I forgot to give this to you." he said as he walked quickly to her table to set down the tray filled with breakfast before wiping his sweaty hands on the front of his pants and rocking on the balls of his feet.

 _Jesus Christ, he just makes everything more awkward doesn't he?_ Korra thought as sighed, "Dad..."

Tonraq jumped, as if he wasn't aware of Korra's presence, "Oh right! Uhh... I'll go now."

Her dad was just so awkward for a political leader. _He could face hundreds of reporters and journalists with perfect composure, but he can't even construct a complete sentence seeing his own daughter butt naked._ She chuckled as she walked over to her phone once hearing it ring again.

It was Kuvira, _Sure, give me 15 minutes._

Korra sent a quick reply, _Thanks! Love you :)_ As she retreated back into her bathroom with a sigh, knowing Kuvira was unlikely to reply.

 _I wonder how she's still even walking considering the 10 foot stick up her ass, that can't possibly be good for her health._ She joked bitterly to herself.

5 minutes later, Korra was heading out of her house right after speed eating and kissing her parents goodbye.

But as she kissed her father goodbye, Korra whispered in his ear as to not be heard by her mother, "Not a word of what happened to anyone."

Even if she sounded dead serious, Tonraq refused to be fazed by her threat and laughed whole-heartedly before patting her on the back, "Don't worry. I don't even want to think about it, even more as to tell someone else about it."

Korra dropped the act and gave her father a lopsided smile before heading out the door, only to smile even wider at who she saw as she got out of her house.

\----------

Asami got out from her house a little later than usual. She supposed she could take the bus today, considering how it was late enough for the bus to arrive on its regular schedule.

She cursed herself for enjoying her sleep a little bit too much. Maybe it was because she was slightly sleep deprived due to school work, or maybe she just felt more relaxed and _satisfied_ than she can remember feeling in a long time.

Before she goes to sleep, Asami can't help but _think_. Think about school stress, think about the people that bully her, sometimes even think about her mother. All these thoughts don't help with relaxation, doing the exact opposite in fact. Thinking before bed usually left her too stressed or too depressed to get any proper sleep.

But somehow, after Asami had talked with Korra, _Is that even considered talking?_ Asami thought, _I'm pretty sure talking involves mouths moving_.

As she sat down on the bench directly in front of her house waiting for the bus, Asami imagined Korra's mouth moving, except it was moving with her own.

Asami was pretty sure she looked like idiot, as she was blushing by herself. _Pull it together, Salami,_ Asami smirked slightly once remembering the nickname Korra gave her last night.

Just as Asami was about to look in the direction of the girl's house, she saw the very girl she was thinking about.

As Korra drew closer, Asami seized the opportunity to study the girl.Korra seemed to be taking her sweet time, giving Asami the perfect vantage point.

What Korra was wearing was relatively simple yet stunning to Asami all the same. Korra's hands were tucked into the pockets of her cut off shorts, displaying her long toned legs. She was wearing a black Pink Floyd cutoff shirt; the sides, seeming as if Korra slashed them off herself, showed great amount of her torso, as well as showing off her well muscled arms.

Asami could just imagine running her hands over those arms, just as she leans closer to... Asami mentally slapped herself, _Goddammit, Asami, stop staring and be cool! You don't want the poor girl to think you might attack her everytime you see her,_ Asami thought as she attempted to look cool as Korra approached.

She tried leaning both her arms on the back of the bench and stretching out her legs. Asami was pretty sure she looked like a starfish of some sort.

She sighed, thinking about releasing the position, but stopped as Korra was soon upon her.

 _Too late now,_ she thought as she turned to greet Korra with a smile.

\--------------

Korra was really happy once she saw Asami sitting on a bench in front of their homes. Korra didn't know what, but something about the mentioned girl brightened up Korra's day. Whatever she was feeling made her feel good about herself, made her feel like she could take on anything the world threw at her today.

 _That was odd,_ Korra thought as she started to approach the girl, _I've only known her for a short while and yet I feel like I know her more than anyone else._ With a shake of her head, she quickened her pace towards the girl.

As she neared Asami, Korra took in her smile and the awkward, sprawled out position Asami was in. Korra refused to mention anything about her position as she sat down next to her on the bench.

"What's up Salami?" as Korra smirked as she mimicked the other girls position, making sure Asami knew she was mocking her.

If Asami's blush wasn't that obvious before, it certainly was now, certain that Korra caught her on the act.

"Ahhh... Not much... I'm just waiting for the bus." she said as she awkwardly tucked her hair behind her ear, not wanting to mention why her schedule was different, since she usually woke up a lot earlier.

"So, what are you doing up so early? I'm pretty sure you don't wake up this early everyday." Asami said, looking for a way to change the topic.

"Oh yeah, well the thing is, we have a game coming up soon and I want the team prepared for the worst." Korra said while leaning back, looking very much like the cool and laid back person everyone knows and adores.

"But isn't the team already the best in the league? I think you have a pretty good team in your hands, you'll do fine." Asami said.

From then on, Korra started talking so animatedly about her team, that even if a crazy masked man were to pass by and threaten her life, she wouldn't be at least a little fazed by it.

She started talking about each individual player; their strengths, their weaknesses, how they worked individually and how well they all played as a whole.

When Korra mentioned she wanted to help them improve, not in any degrading manner, it was clear to Asami that Korra cared deeply for her team mates and she would do anything for them.

From the way she talked about each player outside of the game, it was clear to Asami that she thought of them as more as family than anything else.

From the way Korra leaned in so enthusiastically and gestured so wildly, Asami could easily see her passion.

From the way she talked so quickly, running over each word and not even bothering to slow down or make herself understandable, it showed Asami that she did not care what others thought of her.

As Asami watched Korra, she realized that this was the exact moment when Asami thought,

_Yes, this is the idiot I have chosen._

\------------

As Korra continued to talk about the team, Asami seemed to get more comfortable with her, fully facing her and nodding enthusiastically at the right times. When Asami smiled, Korra noticed, her green eyes sparkled as if having their own light.

 _Wow_ , Korra thought, _her eyes are beautiful. How could I have not noticed this before?_

She realized that she might have come off as self-centered to Asami, since she was talking about her team the whole time, and quickly changed the topic, "As much as I like hearing the sound of my own voice," she started jokingly, "I'd really like to hear yours."

Asami visibly jumped, as if she were thinking about something else and caught off guard, and said, "What do you mean?"

Korra shrugged, trying to look nonchalant, but really she wanted to know more about the girl beside her, "I don't know. You know what I'll be doing this week, so why not tell me about your week?"

Asami shrugged as well, but hers seemed more like a nervous tic, as if she wasn't used to talking about herself. "Well, I'm part of the band that will be playing during your game, so I suppose I'll be practicing as well." She fidgeted with her flannel shirt, "I play the clarinet."

Korra was surprised, she never would have pegged her for the type. "I didn't know you played! I've always wanted to play an instrument, but I never really had the chance to since I prioritized basketball the most."

Asami smiled reassuringly, "That's understandable, you need a lot of time to learn an instrument, and it sounds like you don't have much of that." she joked. "What did you want to play?"

Korra shrugged, "I always watched my father play his guitar when I was younger. I asked him to teach me but like you said, it takes a lot of your time, time me nor my father had."

Asami looked as if she was suddenly was struck by an idea, "I know a little bit of guitar. I'm nothing special, but if you want, I could teach you the basics?"

 _This girl never fails to surprise me_ , Korra thought as she nodded enthusiastically with a blinding smile, "Yeah, that would be awesome."

Just then, Korra heard a sound coming from the road ahead of them. As she turned around to see what it was, she saw a familiar forest green Porsche with the top down, inside it was Kuvira, who honked to get her attention.

Korra turned back to Asami, who looked disappointed, and said, a little disappointed herself, "Well, that's my ride..."

Just as Asami opened her mouth to say something, Kuvira honked again.

Korra glared in Kuvira's direction before sighing at Asami, "Sorry, she gets really impatient at times. Wanna come with us?"

Asami plastered on a smile as she said, "It's fine, I can wait for the bus. You go ahead."

Korra hesitated before saying, "Alright. But don't forget you, owe me some guitar lessons." she joked "Wanna meet up later?"

Asami's smile no longer felt forced as she said, "Definitely." just as Korra entered the car.

Once she closed the door, Korra turned to wave goodbye at Asami, but was interrupted by Kuvira pulling her back and kissing her.

It caught Korra off guard. She knew Kuvira only public displayed her affections for Korra whenever the other girl felt competition or whenever she felt the need to stake her claim on Korra.

Once Kuvira released her, Korra turned back to Asami, only to see the girl looking at everything except her.

Before Korra could do anything, Kuvira stepped on the pedal, speeding off towards the school. Korra looked at the side mirror as the car sped up, looking at Asami, only to find the girl staring back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this one!
> 
> I don't know when I'll be able to update next, but I promise I'll try.
> 
> Once again, all forms of feedback, (kudos, comments, bookmarks, subscribers, the like) are GREATLY appreciated, I need the motivation to continue!
> 
> I'd really love to hear your thoughts on this chapter guys. Someone hate with me here!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A sneak peek of the chapter I'm working on, mostly also because I felt the need to excuse myself to you guys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So you may (or may not) have wondered why I haven't been posting as often as I usually do. 
> 
> My slightly valid excuse is more of a technical problem. The wifi of my hotel crashed yesterday. The bad (worse?) news is it probably won't be back up anytime soon. 
> 
> So I basically live off non-hotel wifi now, which is unfortunate, because I leave my iPad at the hotel 
> 
> This post was mainly so I can explain my sudden disappearance, but I don't want this post to be completely useless. 
> 
> So as a sorry note, have a snippet of the latest chapter. 
> 
> No guarantees as to when the next update would be.

_Stop being so melodramatic_ , she thought as she saw the bus nearing, _It's not like she's committed to you. She could be with whoever she wants to be with. She's just a friend._

But as she entered the bus and took a seat, Asami knew that she was lying to herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please stick with me guys! I promise to update this as soon as possible!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wifi's back up guys! I feel connected to the world again haha
> 
> Thanks so much for the great feedback so far guys! I didn't really like the last update, but apparently some of you did, which I am eternally grateful for!
> 
> This chapter's very fluffy, so watch out haha :))
> 
> Hope you like this one! I certainly enjoyed writing it! 
> 
> As always, all forms of feedback is appreciated!

Asami watched the forest green Porsche as it sped away, never taking her eyes of it, even when she could barely see it anymore. As the car left, Asami couldn't help but think that Korra was staring back at her. She averted her eyes.

 _Stop being so melodramatic,_ she thought as she saw the bus nearing, _It's not like she's committed to you. She could be with whoever she wants to be with. She's just a friend._

But as she entered the bus and took a seat, Asami knew that she was lying to herself.

As the bus turned the corner, Asami leaned her head on the glass and she caught a glimpse of Korra's window, this time with the curtains closed shut. Asami smiled despite the conflicted feelings she had at the moment.

As the bus arrived at the school, she smiled at the memory, remembering how Korra treated her, like she wasn't Asami Sato, the shy girl who would one day inherit the largest company in the world, but just _Asami,_ the girl that remained strong despite all the sadness she keeps, the girl that wanted to feel like she belonged, and Korra was the one who gave Asami a sense of belongingness. Asami didn't want to lose that. As much as Asami wanted her, she wouldn't want to ruin their friendship by being selfish.

 _If she's happy with someone else, then the least I could do is be happy for her,_  she thought as she headed toward the school's entrance.

\-------------------------

Korra exited the shower rooms, experiencing two very conflicting feelings.

First, she was exhausted, she and Coach Tenzin making sure the team was ready for the upcoming championship next week. She prepared them physically; leading her team through their drills, core exercises, and made them play a full court game; as well as mentally; she reviewed each player's strengths and weaknesses, reviewing formations and tactics, points they should improve on, as well as reassuring them by making them believe they were the best there was. 

Second, she was excited beyond belief. Korra knew her team had the potential to win.

As Korra headed toward the main building, she had to admit, her team was an odd bunch outside the court. Opal seemed like she'll never hurt a fly, Zhu Li was forever stiff and reserved, P'Li looked like she wanted to burn everything in her path, and the _ever famous, one of a kind, never before seen,_ stick-up-her-ass Kuvira.

But once you put them inside the court, _oh boy, you are in for a surprise_.

Opal was their shooting guard, shooting threes with terrifying accuracy. Zhu Li was their small forward, played as if she could be everywhere at once. P'Li as their center, strangely calm yet firm that nearly nothing could get past her defenses, Kuvira as their power forward, with precise drives and almost 100% shots on the paint, and finally Korra as their point guard, always calling the shots.

A lot of people already believe that the Republic High has the best basketball team in the league, but Korra likes to keep them on their toes and makes sure they don't get cocky. Korra's had her fair share of cockiness, and she can say it wasn't pretty. _Literally_ , she thought, _it was composed of a lot of her black eyes._

Korra glanced at her watch as she entered the building where regular classes were held. She realized she was just in time for her first class of the day, which was Drama class. Korra was pleased to remember that Asami also took this class with her. It's been three days since they talked on the bench outside their homes.

They spent every free second they had with each other since then. They spent their time just enjoying each other's company (since Asami soon discovered that teaching Korra to play guitar was _impossible_ , _which is saying something_ , because Asami could do _anything_ if she put her mind to it.), talking about everything and nothing; they did shallower things like talk about school, study together for their tests, chat animatedly about the upcoming game; while also tackling deeper matters, like how much Korra loved her team like family, and how Asami felt like she didn't belong anywhere, how her father was her only friend (aside from Korra, of course). Since they got to know each other more, Korra thought, no, she _knew_ that even if they just met less than a week ago, what she and Asami had was special, that their connection was something you didn't find everyday. Not that she mentioned this to Asami, of course, even if she was tempted once or twice.

Korra was pretty sure she heard the song _Creep by Radiohead_ playing somewhere as she thought, _No, Korra, you don't say that to someone you just met, unless you want them to run in the opposite direction and never want to see you again._

As Korra entered the small auditorium, where the class was usually held, she scanned the area for the mentioned girl and grinned when she saw her seated near the corner of the room, looking as if she were falling asleep.

Korra smirked as she snuck up behind the girl before placing her hands over Asami's eyes; reveling in the softness of Asami's skin she felt under her fingertips; basking in the warmth that radiated off her body as she leaned closer, catching her intoxicating jasmine scent.

Korra officially placed the song in her life's official soundtrack.

With a mental shake of her head, she proceeded to whisper in Asami's ear, "Who are you and what have you done with Asami?" Korra threatened, "The normal Asami would never fall asleep in class!"

Asami turned around quickly, summoning the most villainous glare she can manage before saying, "It's too late! You'll never see her again!" completing the villain package with a maniacal laugh.

"But the world would be thrown into chaos if the teacher caught her!" Korra said as she placed a hand over her mouth. "Even worse, she might even receive, _for the first time ever,"_ she leaned in closer to whisper scandalously _, "A disapproving look from the teacher."_ She ended with a dramatic gasp and pretended to faint on the chair beside them.

Asami couldn't keep up the act anymore and dropped it laughing, swapping the maniacal laughter she used earlier for her actual laughter, genuine and musical. Korra decided that its was the best sound ever (She would have it recorded and mass produced just so more people would have a chance to hear it, _that's_ how amazing it sounded.) and thought how she wouldn't mind if she woke up to that sound everyday, making mornings less evil (Still evil, but _less_ evil.)

As Asami clutched her stomach, laughing so hard that she was tearing up, Korra thought that this was the best feeling ever, being able to make this girl, who seemed to hold so much sadness in her eyes, forget about that sadness, even for just a short while.

\-----------------

Later that day, Korra and Asami decided to keep each other company in Korra's house right after school. It was a relatively easy decision to make, since they lived right next to each other, but Asami loved and respected her father enough to ask for permission anyway.

Asami found Hiroshi in the mansion's office room, where he usually was whenever he needed to work at home. She knocked on the door before entering, more like announcing her entrance rather than asking for permission to enter (Asami and her father's comfort and familiarity with each other meant that there was no need for excessive formalities; both preferred to be direct to the point).

Her father was currently on the phone, most likely with another potential investor, judging by the way her father spoke; charming yet firm. Asami liked to believe she had taken up after her father, but she knew that this wasn't entirely true. She was smart and brilliant like him, yes, but she never had the people skills her father had, skills which he had to use often in their line of work. Being a businessman usually meant winning over the client. Asami knows she would have to follow her father's footsteps one day, to continue his legacy in Future Industries, but Asami was grateful that time wasn't upon her yet.

Eventually, her father placed the receiver back on its hook before turning to her. "Hello Asami, how was your day?" as he walked around his desk to take her into his arms.

Asami hugged her father back before leaning back from the embrace to face him, "Nothing special really." she said with a certain indifferent tone she used in her voice when talking about school. "Actually dad, I came by to tell you that I'll be hanging out at Korra's house after coming to greet you." she said while trying to sound casual.

Hiroshi always pushed her to be more social and go out with people her age, but she always brushed it off, saying she was perfectly happy being alone. So she knew her father thought this was a big deal considering she never hung out with anyone before.

Hiroshi caught the tone and he decided not to pry on her sudden change of opinion when comes to friends, changing the topic, much to Asami's relief, "Oh? This couldn't be Ambassador Tonraq's daughter, can it?"

Asami nodded, "Actually, she is."

Hiroshi seemed to give up the act and give in to the temptation of saying, "Asami, I'm glad you are finally putting yourself out there. I'm guessing you really like this girl?"

Asami sighed, thinking,  _It was bound to come up one way or another._ Her father knew about her being bisexual. Most children would cringe away from telling their parents, but with Hiroshi, Asami knew he would still love and accept her the same. But with Korra, it wasn't that simple.

Her father got the hint, "Well, why are you still here? Don't let an old coot like me keep you from having fun." he jokingly said, nudging her towards the door with a smile on his face.

Asami laughed as she turned to hug her father, "Dad, I would never think of you like that and you know it." She smiled, "Well, I don't want to keep her waiting. I told her to wait for me in the balcony."

Hiroshi frowned, "She's here? Why didn't I hear her come in?"

Asami perked up, "Oh didn't I tell you? I built a walkway that connects our balconies together a few days ago. It wasn't that hard actually, I made sure the weight was balanced, even added some arches to improve it's stablilty..." Asami continued explaining until she trailed off once seeing the look on her father's face.

Hiroshi quickly recovered and laughed whole-heartedly, with what looked like pride in his eyes, "That's my girl." he said as he ruffled her hair.

Asami shrieked, "Dad! You know how much time I spend on my hair!" pretending to be angry before kissing him on the cheek.

She started to head out the door toward her room, but not before catching a glimpse of her father picking up the picture of her mother on his table and smiling fondly at it.

\---------------

After talking for about 2 hours, both settled in comfortable silence, with Asami quietly reading a book on Korra's bed, and Korra, sitting beside her, attempting to learn a song on her father's guitar, (which was _totally_ fun for Asami, since they had to go the attic to look for it and she got to see Korra sneeze violently every few seconds, cursing after every one. Asami couldn't stop laughing for a good 5 minutes, which guaranteed the silent treatment from Korra, but Korra couldn't resist once Asami gave her puppy dog eyes)

 _I shouldn't be enjoying it too much, all that sneezing couldn't be healthy_ , she thought, but it didn't stop her as Asami smiled at the memory of Korra sneezing, looking frustrated, but adorable to her all the same.

As Asami was struggling not to laugh (before it was too late), she heard Korra mutter to herself, "What the flying fuck is a capo?" sounding very much like the same frustrated, sneezing Korra.

Asami gave in and started laughing while Korra looked at her incredulously, "What are you laughing at?"

Asami hid behind her hand as she laughed while she waved the other girl off, "Nothing, nothing." she took in a deep breath in an attempt to regain her composure. "You need some help?"

Korra studied her before rubbing the back of her neck, "Nah, I can handle it."

Asami raised her eyebrow at that, just before the atmosphere seemed to change.

Crawling across the bed before settling in front of Korra, Asami took off her hairband, letting some of her hair fall in front of her eyes, staring at Korra seductively.

Korra visibly gulped as Asami crawled closer in all fours, placing the guitar down on the bed beside her.

Asami was nearly on top of the other girl, so Korra leaned back on her elbows to give her better access. Asami was so close that Korra could feel her breath against her own lips, but Asami just kept coming closer until their lips were only an inch apart. all the blood that wasn't on Korra's face was rushing between her legs.

Just as Korra closed her eyes, Asami turned her head, resting her cheek on the other girl's cheek instead, as she reached over Korra, grabbing a pencil that was resting on the bedside table.

Asami plopped back on the bed with a shit eating smirk on her face, as if to say,

 _I win_ , remembering the last time she said that to the girl in front of her.

Korra, still leaning on her elbows, still blushing but for a completely different reason, looked at Asami in disbelief.

Asami picked up the guitar, placing the pencil on top of the neck's strings, before securing the pencil with her hairband.

Asami lifted the guitar, showing Korra her modification, "Since you don't have a capo, you can use this for now.", handing the guitar back to Korra, smiling innocently, nearly convincing Korra that what happened a while ago was just in her imagination. But not convincing enough.

 _Spirits, this woman will be the death of me,_ Korra thought as she wordlessly accepted the guitar, still speechless.

After that, they went back to their respective activities, but Korra couldn't focus anymore. Her attention was completely focused on the girl beside her, as her mind drifted off.

 _I swear to God, she does it on purpose._ She wants to kill me. Korra thought as she remembered the sparkle of mischief in Asami's eyes, the tantalizing way her hair fell around them, curtaining them as the smell of jasmine invaded Korra's senses.

Korra came back to herself, suddenly aware that Asami was smirking, as if she caught her staring,

_Dammit Korra, act normal!_

Korra blushed as she racked her head for something to say, and blurted the first thing that came to her mind, "Wanna go out with me tomorrow?"

Asami blushed slightly as she raised both eyebrows, just as Korra realized what she said, blushing even harder, "Uhhh I mean... We're going out tomorrow at the theme park... And by we I mean us! And by us I mean you and me... And Bopal of course! Uhhh I mean, Bolin and Opal, two different people..."

Asami was still blushing but laughed at Korra as she rambled, "Calm down Korra! Yes, I will go to the theme park with you, with Bopal of course." she smirked

Korra's blush lessened as she rubbed the back of her neck, "Very funny, Asami."

After that, both girls settled in comfortable silence once again, but neither could get their grin off their face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Were y'all expecting smut? ;) Sorry for the letdown!
> 
> Hope you liked this one!
> 
> You can follow me in pugsofhousetargaryen.tumblr.com
> 
> It's much easier announcing there than here. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Theme Park Day part 1 of 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the super delay on the update guys, my schedule's really cramped.
> 
> So this part of the story was REALLY long, so I decided to cut it in half.
> 
> Another reason for cutting the chapter is because I wanted to do a bit of research for the next chapter, you'll see. :)
> 
> Hope you like this chapter!

"Of all fucking days, why the _fuck_ do you come _now_?!"

By the way Asami was cursing, you'd think she was screaming at someone she _really_ hates. She supposes that was true in a sense, but it wasn't so much as a someo _ne_ , but a some _thing_.

A small, rational voice whispered in Asami's head, _It's not that bad really, barely noticeable._

But the larger, _much_ more dominant voice said, _Fuck no, this is a fucking shitstorm of a disaster. Might as well hide my face in a paper bag._

It had to come today didn't it? It could've come on a day that Asami didn't have any plans, and there were _a lot_ of those. So when Asami finally had people to hang out with, a zit the size of a _fucking golfball_ (she knows she's exaggerating, becuase a zit the size of a golfball would have been _disgusting_ , but that didn't make her feel any better about it.) appears _right_ smack in between her eyes, you can assume Asami was _pissed_.

 _I really fucking hate you right now._ She glared at it as if it was the most offending thing in the world, for Asami, it probably was. If sheer will power could kill, Asami was pretty sure she already made every pimple disappear off the face of the earth by now. (Do you dare defy the power of a Sato?)

She glanced at her wall clock, realizing it was 12:45 pm and groaned. _  
_

First the big ass zit on her face (not really) now she only has 15 minutes to prepare? _I don't care if the world thinks I'm batshit crazy, I am SO gonna file a lawsuit against the universe._ She thought as she stripped off her clothes and grabbed new ones.

_Before she and Korra separated to sleep in their respective rooms, they finalized their plans for tomorrow._

_Korra told her that they should meet up in front of her house at 1. Asami agreed as she crossed the bridge she made that connected their balconies, heading toward her room, completely forgetting to mention that she had band practice for the piece they would be playing during the basketball game. Tomorrow's practice would be the last one they would have to prepare for the game the next day and t_ _he whole orchestra was required to attend._

_Only when Asami's head hit the pillow did she realize this, and that earned both a mental and physical facepalm._

_"Idiot." she muttered to herself as she thought of her game plan._

_The practice would last the whole morning, from 6 am to 12 pm. (It may be kind of intense for band practice, but hey, sounding good as a group could be a pain in the ass). That would leave her an hour at most to prepare._

_Asami left her home the moment the sun peeked from the horizon (around 5 am). She knows that even if she came earlier, she still would have to stay until 12 like everyone else. She was just really excited! She couldn't sit still even when waiting for her other band mates. So when people came in and saw Asami, they'd think she was having a seizure considering she was practically shaking with excitement, or wondering if she was sleeping with her eyes open judging by the way she stared off into space, wondering what exciting things could happen later on._

_Asami didn't even notice the clarinet in her hand, which is saying something since she considered it her most prized possession. Today was the last chance they had to polish their piece for the game and they couldn't afford any mistakes because Lin (who looked and acted more like a military officer) would whoop their asses right after. Right now Lin, their conductor, was in front, listening and watching each and everyone of us like a hawk. Asami knows she should be paying attention, she didn't want any public shaming from Lin._

_She distinctly remembered a tall, spiky haired boy forced to become Lin's lackey after she caught him trying to flirt with one of their band mates instead of practicing._

_Asami was pretty sure Lin caught her visibly cringing at the thought, so she tried to focus on playing, tried being the keyword._

_So the moment Lin dismissed them, Asami bolted from the room, faster than the speed of Raava. It took her 5 minutes to get from school to her home when it usually took 15, that's how fast she ran._

_But the odds didn't seem to be in her favor, (Asami chuckled internally at the reference from her favorite book) as her father chose this time to force her to have lunch with him. It took 30 minutes for her to have the heart to tell him she had to leave, though he was pleased to find out she was starting to socialize._

_She was down to 25 minutes until 1 pm when she found the "little shit" (she figured she should give the zit a nickname, considering how much attention she gave it. "Little Shit" seemed to fit the most, but she was considering naming it "Big. Ass. Mother. Fucker.", but she didn't have much time to dwell on it, so she stuck with the original name for now)_

_Without noticing, she spent 10 minutes of her precious time glaring at it and thinking about how she spent 6 HOURS in public without knowing that she somehow turned into a Dalmatian._

_I hope my day gets a lot better later on,_ she thought as she washed her face.

She _really_ wanted to hang out with Korra and her friends, so she didn't cancel on them and tried to make it work. She wanted a shot at being normal, doing normal things a normal person would do, like worry about looking good.

 _And normal I got._ she thought bitterly while she brushing her teeth. Here she was, thinking about what to wear and thinking of ways to obliterate the invader on her face; the perfect definition of normal teenage issues. 

Down to 10 minutes, Asami decided she couldn't work anything fancy under the time limit, so she grabbed her go-to outfit, her favorite shark with eyebrows shirt, a pair of boyfriend jeans, and her worn sneakers (which she should probably get rid of, but it's not her fault she has separation anxiety issues). 

She put her clothes on with a bit of hesitation. She really wanted to dress up today, really wanted to impress Korra and make a good impression on her friends. _I guess they'll just have to like me for me, and I don't know how well that's going to turn out._ She thought a bit worriedly as she left her home.

She had 5 minutes to spare, she realized with a small smile. _Must be in the Sato blood, always punctual._ she thought, despite being well aware of the state of near panick she was in while getting ready. _What people don't know won't hurt them,_ she joked to herself as she sat down on the bench in front of her house to wait for Korra.

Around 7 minutes later, Asami thought she heard something down the corner of the street. Just as she turned to look, Asami froze at the sight before her.

She saw a _beautiful_ shock blue1969 Camaro SS roll sleekly along the pavement. Sun glinted on it's surface, emphasizing the white stripe that surrounded its nose as well as extended down its side. Even if it wasn't as near as she would have preferred, Asami could already hear the purr coming from its powerful engine.

 _396 cu in V8 engine and chassis upgrades for better handling, dealing with the additional power,_ Asami recited in her head as sat there, jaw hanging loosely, while the car slowed down to rest in front of her. Even the sight of Korra rolling down the window to smile at her couldn't shake away her reverie.

Only when Korra started waving her hand to grab Asami's attention did she snap out of it, at least only slightly. Asami soon realized that Korra was talking to her and she missed what she said, so she stood from the bench, a bit robotically. It was as if Asami was reduced to her most basic instinct, which was to adore the beauteous creation before her. 

But even as she approached the car, both the way she walked toward it and her face showed reverence, as if seeing an angel appear before her.

Korra didn't seem to notice this as she continued talking, "Sorry I'm a bit late, I just had to pick up these lovebirds.", Asami gave them the slightest recognition as no one can take her away from this _goddess._

A voice came from the backseat, "Hey Korra, is your friend alright? She looks like she's in shock."

That finally snapped Asami out of it. _You're here to impress Asami. Pull yourself together._ She smiled at them in hopes of looking less starstruck.

She took the door handle in her hand with the slightest bit of hesitation before finally entering the car's passenger seat. She thought she could control herself, but once she saw the interior of the vehicle, her mind went on overdrive. "Sorry about that, its just that this _car_... I barely see this model anymore and its conditioning is _amazing,_ and its just... _Wow..._ How did you even have the Turbo Hydra-Matic 350 installed in this _century?_ And the four wheel disc brakes with four-piston calipers? _You've got to be fucking kidding me!_ There are only 206 units _in the world_ and you have one! How is that even _possible?_ Don't _even_ get me started on the rear valance panels, it makes the car look so fucking _sexy_... _"_

Korra laughed as the usually reserved girl rambled on, while the passengers in the back stared blatantly, not understanding a word that left Asami's mouth. Asami kept going until she heard a cough from the back. She stopped herself from rambling any further and immediately blushed as she _finally_ noticed that she had an audience.

There were two people in the back, both about Asami's age; a boy whose body was so muscular, it was almost intimidating, but his kind face put Asami at ease; and a girl, who seemed to have a similar kindness, both staring at her with amusement lighting up their eyes.

She quickly spun on the seat and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "Uh... Hi." she whispered, still blushing.

The boy started laughing out loud, clutching his stomach. Asami blushed even harder. Korra spat out the gum she was chewing and hitting the boy in the eye, which caused him to stop laughing and scream in disgust.

The girl beside him turned to face Asami, smiling at her warmly, ignoring the boy, who was trying to unstick the gum from his face with minimal contact. With an eyeroll, Korra handed him a tissue box. 

"Don't mind him, he's harmless really, he just lacks self control. I'm Opal," she stuck out her hand, which Asami took with a smile of her own.

Korra reached in her pocket to grab a new strip of gum, "And the idiot over there is Bolin. You'd think Opal would have rubbed off a bit on him, but he's still the same idiot he always was. I still wonder how they're still together."

Bolin, finally relieving himself of the sticky invader, shrugged, "Opposite's attract?" He turned to face Asami, "It's nice to finally meet you Asami! Korra's told us a lot about-" He suddenly cut himself off.

Asami wasn't sure, but she thought she saw Korra in her peripheral vision, dragging a finger across her neck at Bolin.

The boy visibly gulped and quickly tried to recover, "You play in the band right?" Just as Korra started the car and pulled away from the curb.

Asami raised her eyebrows at Bolin and Korra, before responding "Yeah... How did you know?", she watched Korra narrow her eyes at Bolin in the rear view mirror as she entered the freeway.

Bolin was visibly sweating as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Uhhh... We see you there. Uh I meant me! I see you there! Why would I be there, you ask? I go there a lot, not because I play there, uhhh... My brother! Yeah! He plays the saxophone! I go there, you know, for him..." Fiddling his thumbs before glancing once more at the rear view mirror.

They were acting very suspiciously. _Why is he changing the topic?_  she thought as she glanced at Korra.

The said girl's attention was completely on the road in front of them, her gaze unwavering. If Asami didn't know any better, she'd think that Korra was avoiding looking at her. _What are you hiding?_

She temporarily dismissed it from her mind, they had a long drive ahead of them.

Asami always had an eye for beauty. She'd find herself staring at something she found beautiful for Spirits know how long. Right now, her attention could not be drawn away from the natural beauty of the hills, the gorgeous beauty that is this car, and the indescribable beauty of the person beside her.

\-------------------------------------------------------------

After an hour of driving, Korra waited by her car for her friends. She decided to refill her gas tank while she had the opportunity. "Even if we didn't really need to stop." she mumbled to herself with a scowl on her face.

Bolin insisted that they stop over at a gas station, jumping up and down in his seat, saying he needed to go to the bathroom. He's been going at it for 30 minutes, so Opal cried out, begging for Korra to end their suffering and stop at the next gas station. The moment they arrived, Bolin practically ran out the door, Asami left to grab snacks while Opal excused herself to talk on the phone.

Now that Korra thought about it, they were taking a really long time. Korra sighed as she looked around for them. Just as she was scanning the area, she saw two girls standing nearby, whispering to each other while they blatantly stared at Korra.

Korra in her cutoff shorts, tight tank top, sneakers and a snapback; leaning on her car with her muscular arms crossed was bound to catch more than a few pairs of eyes.

The pair realized they got caught staring, but instead of backing out, they started to walk toward Korra. Korra refused to move from her position and raised an eyebrow at them as they got closer. The two stood in front of her, not even bothering to be discreet as they checked her out, "Hey, so me and my friend were wondering-"

Suddenly, Korra felt an arm snake around her shoulders and her senses were filled with a jasmine scent. _Asami_. Seemingly out of nowhere, Asami suddenly appeared beside her and kissed her on the cheek before smiling brightly at Korra, "Hey babe, sorry I took so long, the line was _horrible_." she said before looking at the two girls in front of them, arm still wrapped around Korra, "Oh hello, can we help you?" raising both her eyebrows, as if giving them a silent message. Even Korra could tell that Asami wasn't really there to help them.

The girls looked shocked at Asami's sudden appearance and looked embarrassed to be there, so they muttered "No, uh, nevermind." and walked away, back from where they came from.

Asami's arm was still wrapped around Korra, so she cleared her throat. Asami jumped, releasing Korra just as she turned to face her. Korra studied her, while Asami looked at everything except the girl in front of her, avoiding all eye contact, blushing slightly. 

Korra was suddenly aware of the tiny space between her and Asami, which caused her to blush as well. She opened her mouth to say something, but just as she was about to, she heard a familiar voice calling out her name.

Korra jumped away from Asami, who seemed disappointed at the space that formed between them. Korra turned around, confused. "Kuvira?"

\-------------------------------------

Asami saw Opal coming over to her and Korra, dragging two people behind her, a tall boy with disheveled hair in one hand, and Kuvira in the other. Asami heard Korra mutter under her breath before walking toward the approaching group, with Asami following soon after.

The two groups stopped 5 feet from each other. _What is she doing here?_ A bitter part of Asami whispered in her head.

Korra seemed to read her mind, "What are you doing here?" she said with a bit more aggression than necessary.

Kuvira raised an eyebrow at Korra's tone, "Opal invited me, though honestly I thought that it would be you to do that." she countered as she crossed her arms.

Korra huffed as she crossed her own arms. _Huh. What's up with them?_ She thought as she observed from the sidelines.

Korra seemed to process what Kuvira said, "Wait, Opal?" she said incredulously as she turned to the mentioned girl.

Opal didn't seem to appreciate the spotlight, judging from the way she fidgeted under Korra's stare. She laughed nervously, "Heh. Surprise?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you guys wanna see what Korra's car looks like, check out my Tumblr :)
> 
> As always, all forms of feedback are appreciated. :)
> 
> Side story:
> 
> So my sister just finished watching LOK, and she told me right after, that she didn't really like Asami and I don't think there was ever a time that I argued with her that long and detailed.


	7. Announcement

Hi guys! Sorry to disturb you all, but I don't know where else I could announce. Feel free to ignore this if you want. :)

So since I officially have two works right now, (I have a new one called The Internship, and quoting from a reader, it's a "delicious whiplash" of YBWM. It would make me extremely happy if you check that out)

I thought it's about time I get a beta. (Is that what its called? I'm not so sure.) I really need someone I can send my work to before I post it to check if it's good to go, and someone to turn to when I need an opinion. I have _way_ too many internal arguments and I thought it would be helpful if I got an opinion from a reader's point of view.

I'm so sorry this isn't an update, but I swear I'm writing it right now. :)

Sorry for wasting your time if you're not interested. But for those who are, I will be eternally grateful if you want to do this with me. 

You can either hit hit me up here in the comments or in tumblr (pugsofhousetargaryen.tumblr.com) by asking or messaging, though tumblr would be preferable. Don't leave it at anonymous! 

Thanks again for giving me a little of your time!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM CONSIDERING EVERYONE WHO VOLUNTEERS. Please contact me through tumblr so we can talk there :)
> 
> Thanks again!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sneak peek on the VERY long update

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys know it's a pain in the ass to type with a sprained finger? Cuz it is. 
> 
> So I've been feeling very suckish, not updating both of my fics in more than 10 days, so I decided to give you guys a little heads up on what to expect this coming chapter!
> 
> The chapter's hella long, (4600+ words and I'm not even done yet GOOD LORD) so please be patient with me and stick with me on this!

That woke Korra up. She sat up on the hood before walking towards Kuvira, "Did you say something Kuvira?" Korra challenged, standing in front of Kuvira with her arms crossed.

Everyone's attention was now on the pair, even Asami stopped rambling upon hearing Korra speak up. 

Kuvira seemed to notice this as well, giving Korra that same sweet venomous smile before saying, "Oh nothing. Just that I'm really excited to spend time with you, honey." voice practically dripping with sarcasm as she grabbed Korra's chin and kissed her right then and there.

Korra tried to pull away but the action was proven to be futile as Kuvira made it appear like Korra pulled Kuvira towards her, bodies now flush. Kuvira snuck her tongue past Korra's lips and sucking Korra's tongue into her mouth before pulling away, leaving Korra breathless.

Korra stared at Kuvira incredulously before looking at their companions. Everyone seemed to suddenly find their surroundings very interesting, everyone except Asami, who stared at the space where Korra and Kuvira were standing before they pulled away from each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah... Can you tell this chapter's gonna have so much angst? SO MUCH. 
> 
> But not as much as the chapter following that. Prepare yourselves. 
> 
> I'll try to have the next update by tomorrow hopefully *crosses fingers*
> 
> Couldn't complete this chapter without my amazing beta director550. 
> 
> Guys go check out her work, Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark is hella awesome. 
> 
> Thanks to those who stick by my work and so much love sent to those who leave kudos, comments and bookmarks. I love you guys!


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That awkward ride before they get to the park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo the latest chapter got REALLY long, too long for it remain interesting.
> 
> So we just decided to cut it into smaller, MUCH smaller chapters. Chapterlets. Chaplets. Just kidding <3
> 
> So it turns out this story's gonna have more chapters than I expected (looking at you dennyman haha)
> 
> ANYWAY, I hope you guys enjoy this one! I certainly did enjoy writing it!

Asami opened her eyes to beautiful, sprawling hills. The road curving perfectly as the asphalt cut across the natural green. The landscape seemed to extend infinitely, leaving nothing but different shades of green as a view. Asami sighed deeply as she closed her eyes. _Boring_. 

To be completely honest, that's all she's been seeing outside her window for the past 2 hours, so you can't really blame her if she's grown tired of it. 

Asami looked at the person beside her, the only other passenger in the car really, as he stared directly ahead, never keeping his eyes off the road.  _Mako_ , Asami remembered, catching his name when the others were talking.

The pair only spoke when necessary, like when they introduced themselves. But besides that, no other conversation was made.

 

The reason for Asami being stuck for 2 hours with someone she knows almost nothing about is:

1\. Bolin just _had_  to remind everyone that they had not one, but _two_ cars now, which meant they had to divide themselves.

Asami realized this long before he did, but she didn't want to bring it up, certain of a particular outcome, one that involves her being separated since she didn't really belong. As much as Asami wanted to strangle Bolin for bringing it up, she knew it was bound to come up anyway.

2\. Korra stubbornly refused to let anyone else drive her car, saying that no one else drives her "baby Naga" but her.

She said this with a pout, which Asami secretly found cute and smiled to herself, despite the more than tiny chance that Kuvira would ruin any chance of Korrasami time (Asami likes to merge their names, like Korra Sato, but she found Korrasami the best. Don't judge.) 

3\. Bolin and Opal would obviously ride together.

Bolin and Opal were practically joined at the hip, that saying they should ride at different cars would be ridiculous to everyone.

4\. Kuvira clearly implied with a cross of her arms when the topic came up; she would not ride anywhere but with Korra.

 _Her jealousy and possessive streak not seeming to take a break, even on what used to be a lovely day, _Asami thought bitterly.

5\. Kuvira practically became Bolin and Opal, almost _surgically_  joining her and Korra at the hip as well.

After seeing that particular scene between Asami and Korra, she almost never left Korra's side.

6\. Kuvira gave her the evil eye during the whole conversation, making Asami feel even more like she didn't belong.

While she was giving Asami the stink eye, Kuvira suddenly perked up, "Mako can't drive alone because that would be rude", she said with a discreet smirk in Asami's direction, though for Asami, she couldn't have been more clear if she put a billboard sized picture of that smirk right in front of Asami's face.

 

With a sigh, Asami decided to sacrifice her happiness and just volunteered, leaving her and Mako in a three hour drive, with no history whatsoever. The awkward silence filling up the car was almost palpable as they drove along the empty road.

With nothing better to do, Asami continued to look out the window, desperate eyes searching for anything that isn't green, until eventually, she fell asleep once again.

\--------------------------------------------------

Korra stared blankly at the road ahead of her as she drove. Her posture was slouched, one hand on the wheel, the other leaning on the door. She was practically the poster child of ultimate boredom. Everyone was quiet, since the person that usually talked the most was currently asleep (we _all_ know who we're talking about here). So to entertain herself, Korra let her thoughts wander.

Today was one of those once in a lifetime occasions where Korra was actually _excited_ to start the day. She got out of bed with no one coming to wake her up, she even managed to stay calm instead of threatening to smash her alarm clock to pieces as it rang.  _Damn, I'm on a roll today._ That deserved a trophy, and a statue of Korra holding up the trophy, both of which Korra would dedicate a whole shrine for generations to follow to adore, heck, she might even start a religion with those relics.

It was only 10 am, and that was _very_ early for Korra, considering that she usually gets up when lunch is ready. Even Korra's parents were stunned when she came down the stairs, judging by the way they promptly fell out of their chairs with bulging eyes.

Seemingly shocked out of their wits, they refused to say anything as they ate their breakfast, probably trying to remember a time where Korra was actually up early enough for breakfast, which eventually led to Korra bursting out in laughter, failing to stop as she wiped tears from her eyes.

She even volunteered to pick up Bolin and Opal, both of them asking if she was feeling alright, knowing for a fact that you can't catch Korra alive willingly doing stuff so early in the morning.

Everything was going so well, especially as she remembered Asami ramble on and on about Naga (her precious 1969 Camaro SS), how cute she looked as she gestured wildly around herself as she struggled to fit a thousand words in a minute. _She's a fucking nerd._  Korra smiled to herself, _A fucking cute, adorable nerd._

Nothing could ruin Korra's mood, especially with Asami by her side as they drove in silence. At least, that's what she thought. At least until they arrived at the gas station.  

When Korra caught those two girls blatantly staring, she couldn't even try to give a single fuck about it. She was used to it by now. After all, she worked hard for her body, and she wasn't the only one to notice that.

So when the girls started to approach Korra, she was just about ready to tell them off. What she didn't expect was to feel an arm wrap around her shoulder.

But the thing is, she somehow _knew_ it was Asami, not even caught off guard when she realized this as she was hit by a wave of jasmine.

Korra found herself more than slightly pleased it was Asami's arm wrapped around her. She also took no small satisfaction upon seeing the girls' reactions to Asami's sudden appearance. It felt nice. _Almost like she were my actual girlfriend._ she allowed herself to think with a small smile on her face.

There was an undeniable connection between the two of them. Neither of them could understand it, even less try to talk about it. Korra could almost literally cut through tension so thick with a butter knife when Asami realized her arm was still around Korra's shoulders.

Like she said, nothing could ruin Korra's mood, especially with Asami by her side, close enough to touch. Korra sighed, _Maybe if I prayed hard enough and repented for all my sins, which are a lot, maybe the Devil's Advocate herself would never have come._ She thought as she risked a quick glance at her current seatmate.

 _Maybe I should start a charity campaign, so we could raise enough money for the surgery needed to remove that stick up Kuvira's ass. Slogans will say, 'We want a future for her,' with Kuvira's face on it, but we'd totally have to do something about that, because I don't think the first thing you'd think of is, 'Awwww, we should help that poor child' when you see Kuvira's face._ Korra thought as she studied the woman beside her.

As expected the Devil's Advocate, ( _though legend says the locals believe she has a name, they call her 'Kuvira'_ ) was staring stoically at the road ahead of them, as if waiting for a powerful being that controlled the four elements to attack.

 _Sometimes, I wish she would just relax, maybe then we could actually work as a couple,_ Korra sighed as she remembered the events that occurred this morning.

_Korra jumped off the bed once hearing something ringing beside her ear. She fisted the sleep from her eyes as she noticed it was dark outside, "What time is it?" she muttered to herself as she glanced at her clock. Korra groaned as she realized only 10 minutes have passed since she and Asami retired to their respective bedrooms. She slumped back down on her pillow. She was contemplating whether to completely ignore the person calling or throwing her phone out the window as to never be disturbed again. Korra decided that she couldn't throw it out since she couldn't live without her phone (What??? You can't blame one person for an entire generation!) so she proceeded to ignore it. But one cannot ignore something that grows increasingly more annoying for 10 minutes._

_She grabbed it as she angrily pulled her hair, nearly ripping them from their roots. "Can't I enjoy pre-game day without being disturbed?!"_

_Coach Tenzin argued with the Principal Bumi that the basketball game should be excused from classes the day before a game. He said something about meditation and peace, but Korra doesn't really pay attention. The principal argued that it would be unfair to the other students. In reply, Tenzin jokingly said, "Excuse them all then!". To everyone's surprise, the principal agreed. But maybe it wasn't such a surprise, since everyone knew that Principal Bumi was a slacker at heart. Now everyone got to "meditate" pre-game day._

_Korra angrily placed the phone to her ear, hurting herself in the process as she practically punched herself in the face with her phone. She switched the phone to her other ear as she rubbed the growing bump on her face. "What?", she said, even more annoyed now. She distinctly remembered seeing Kuvira's picture on the screen as she picked it up. So it was to Kuvira she was gonna give some ass-whooping._

_"Good morning to you too, sunshine." a voice replied, too serious to be anyone but Kuvira._

_Korra sighed. She was definitely not in the mood to be talking to her right now. "That's funny, considering it's too dark for you to be saying good morning and calling me sunshine. What do you want Kuvira?"_

_Kuvira sounded shocked over the phone, but Korra knew better. "What ever do you mean? Can't a girl call her girlfriend because she wants to hear her voice?" Korra could hear the smirk in her voice as Kuvira spoke._

_Korra rolled her eyes, "I don't know Kuvira. You aren't exactly the type to do that. And we both know that's not what we are."_

_Kuvira kept up the innocent act, "What do you mean? I love you."_

_Korra sighed heavily enough for it to be heard on the other side of the phone. "Cut to the chase, Kuv. I want to sleep."  
_

_Korra could practically feel the gust of wind caused by Kuvira raising her eyebrows. "It's funny how you say you want to sleep, and yet you were having so much fun around 15 minutes ago."_

_Korra scrunched up her eyebrows. "What are you talking about Kuvira?"_

_Apparently, whatever patience Kuvira was showing ran out. "You know what the fuck I'm talking about Korra! What the fuck are you doing with Sato in the middle of the night?" Kuvira shouted. Korra was pretty sure it be heard all the way to her parents' room._

_Korra's own eyebrows raised, she wasn't expecting that, "H _ow the fuck did you know that?"__

_Kuvira snorted, "That's besides the point, why were you with Sato at that time? In your room no less!"_

_Korra's own anger flared, causing her to sit up on the bed, "Since when do you decide who I hang out with?"_

_"Don't change the fucking subject Korra." Kuvira growled over the phone._

_Korra stood from the bed and started pacing, her patience running dangerously low. "Me? Trying to change the subject? You're the one to talk! You're the one who won't answer my question! How did you know?" Korra demanded, emphasizing each word._

_Kuvira just chuckled, much to Korra's disbelief, 'She's laughing now???'_

_Since the other was too busy laughing maniacally, it gave Korra time to think back. 'Who did I tell?' she thought as she tried to recall. She didn't tell anyone specifically. She only messaged the group chat with Bolin and Opal. Korra stopped pacing. 'Wait...'_

_She placed a hand over her eyes, "Oh my fucking god, don't tell me you hacked my account."_

_"Why would I do that honey?" Kuvira's innocent act was back up._

_"What the fuck Kuvira?" Korra said incredulously._

_"Oooohh and I see you guys have been the best of friends, messaging each other almost every fucking minute." Kuvira said in a sickeningly sweet tone that you'd have to be ridiculously oblivious to fall for._

_"What the fuck is your problem Kuvira?" She almost screamed._

__"You are mine, Korra. No one else's. If you don't start distancing yourself from that nerd, I'll make sure she stays away from you." Kuvira said in the flattest tone possible, it was almost terrifying._ _

__But not terrifying enough for Korra."Go fuck yourself, Kuvira."_ _

__She slammed the phone harder than necessary on her bedside table. She may or may not be wishing it was Kuvira's face she was slamming against the table. Maybe a little bit harder. Repeatedly._ _

Korra sighed,  _Apparently my thoughts aren't so entertaining after all,_  she thought as she glanced at the woman beside her once again.  _I'm pretty sure she still has access to my Facebook account._ Korra already changed her password, but it was almost a 100% guaranteed that Kuvira could hack into it anytime. Korra wasn't sure how, but she had someone who could do it for her. She probably knew about their plans for today, probably even manipulated Opal into inviting her. _  
_

She made sure not to mention anything about their plans to Kuvira. She tried _so_ hard not to gloat in front of Kuvira's face that she was in fact doing the complete opposite of what she was being told to do.

But Opal, _Opal, Opal,_ **Opal.**

 _Why Opal why???_ Korra thought as she struggled not to bang her head against the steering wheel. She didn't want to crash.  _No Korra, you can't kill Opal now if you wanna strangle her later._ She thought as she tried to remain calm.

Korra knew it wasn't Opal's fault. Upon realizing the tension she had caused, Opal was practically on her knees, begging for Korra to forgive her. She looked so much like Bolin, it was terrifying.  _Why did he rub off on her and not the other way around?_ she thought as she exasperatedly forgave Opal.

She caught Kuvira's eye and the woman smiled sweetly at her. Anyone would've been fooled, Kuvira was actually very attractive and she could woo anyone when she wanted, but Korra knew better. There was venom in that sweet smile.

It was hard to believe that they argued last night. Anyone who wasn't them would think that they were perfectly normal. One, because Kuvira mastered hiding her emotions and motives. Two, Korra was used to this type of attitude coming from the other girl. Kuvira was always possessive around her. She wanted everyone to know that Korra was hers and hers only. But to be completely honest, the argument between the two of them last night was different. Kuvira was obviously more possessive than before, going through an extent such as hacking her Facebook account (Ugh) and Korra never reacted that bad before, and Kuvira obviously took note of that.

She can only contain her emotions for so long. She was tired, not physically, but emotionally. She could feel herself breaking, a rubber band ready to snap. She knew that if one more thing were to add to that pile of stress, whatever self control she had left were to diminish whatsoever. She wanted this shit to be over with. 

As much as Korra  _loved_ to continue thinking about such things, Korra tried to distract herself. Thankfully, she had Bolin in the car. The mentioned boy was practically lying down on Opal, almost making the girl disappear under his bulk. Both were asleep, with Opal's face pressed against the window and Bolin drooling on the girl under him. Opal would be very pissed when she wakes up, finding the puddle of drool forming on her shirt. 

Korra grabbed her phone before setting it on camera, lifting it high enough to get the full view of the people in the back. She made sure to include a part of her face, pretending to be asleep with her mouth hanging open.  _Maybe this would be sufficient revenge, Opal._ Korra thought cheekily as she took the picture.

She could hear Kuvira snickering beside her which caused Korra to glance at her. Right now, her relationship with Kuvira was something she didn't understand. She didn't want to think about it, but she swore to herself she would soon. 

Just as she sent the picture to everyone on her Snapchat as well as her Story, Korra changed her relationship status in Facebook from, 'In a Relationship' to 'It's Complicated.'

\---------------------------------------------------

They  _finally_ arrived at their destination. Korra chose the spot nearest the entrance, with Mako parking beside her soon after. Thankfully, there weren't many visitors today, due to it being a weekday. Everyone was either in school or in work. _Thank you Principal Bumi,_ Korra thought as she slumped against the car door upon closing it. The drive took a lot out of her. She closed her eyes as she proceeded to lie down on the hood of Naga.

Apparently, everyone felt the same way; lazily exiting the cars, stretching their backs, letting out pathetic complaints like "It's too early" or "The sun's too bright."

Yep, everyone was tired. Well, almost everyone. Asami was practically jumping up and down as she took in the theme park's entrance, looking at the tops of the rides that were visible from where they were. _Where the fuck did she get all that energy from?_ Korra thought enviously.

Asami seemed to just now realized that everyone was practically asleep of their feet, "Come on, senior citizens! We didn't drive all the way here to fall asleep! We're here to have fun!" she exclaimed, hands on her hips, looking very much like the trooper she is. All she needed now was the American flag waving dramatically behind her.

Korra opened one eye at Asami, "Easy for you to say, you didn't drive for what felt like a million years." Korra heard Mako grunt with approval as he slumped against his car, only being supported by the side view mirror.

Asami whined, "But do you even  _see_ those rides? They look so fun! I'm not even sure if we can ride them all, I hope we do! Do you think we cou-" Asami rambled on but Korra stopped paying attention when she heard Kuvira muttered, "Who said there was a  _we?_ _"_

That woke Korra up. She sat up on the hood before walking towards Kuvira, "Did you say something Kuvira?" Korra challenged, standing in front of Kuvira with her arms crossed.

Everyone's attention was now on the pair, even Asami stopped rambling upon hearing Korra speak up. 

Kuvira seemed to notice this as well, giving Korra that same sweet venomous smile before saying, "Oh nothing. Just that I'm really excited to spend time with you, honey." voice practically dripping with sarcasm as she grabbed Korra's chin and kissed her right then and there.

Korra tried to pull away but was the action was proven to be futile as Kuvira made it appear like Korra pulled Kuvira towards her, bodies now flush. Kuvira snuck her tongue past Korra's lips and sucking Korra's tongue into her mouth before pulling away, leaving Korra breathless.

Korra stared at Kuvira incredulously before looking at their companions. Everyone seemed to suddenly find their surroundings very interesting, everyone except Asami, who stared at the space where Korra and Kuvira were standing before they pulled away from each other.

Korra glanced back at Kuvira, only to find the other girl smirking at her. Korra's anger flared, but before she could do anything that she may or may not regret, Opal cleared her throat. "Oh look at the time! We should definitely head inside now if we want a chance in all the rides!" Opal said as she laughed nervously.

Opal obviously felt guilty for bringing Kuvira along. Once again, Korra felt the urge to strangle the green eyed girl until she begged for mercy. But Korra knew better. She took in a deep breath in hopes to rein in her emotions. She closed her eyes and silently counted to ten as she opened them. Everyone was staring at her, including Kuvira, whose smirk practically dared her to do something about it. They all were. Korra wasn't known to be the reckless, impulsive girl for nothing. 

"Opal's right. We should get inside. I really wanna ride that red roller coaster." she said, pointing to the ride visible from where they were standing. She plastered a smile on her face in hopes to look like she was fine. No one seemed convinced, but they started walking toward the entrance anyway.

Korra's arm was pulled along by Opal, distancing themselves from Kuvira. Bolin, ever the peacemaker, left Opal's side to walk with Kuvira. Korra couldn't hear what they were talking about from where she was, but Bolin seemed to be distracting her, gesturing wildly around himself. Korra heard one especially loud exclamation, "Ooohhh look at that tree over there! Isn't it nice?" 

Meanwhile, Opal was quiet as she walked beside Korra. Korra sighed, she couldn't stay mad at Opal for something that wasn't her fault. "It's okay Opal, it wasn't your fault." she said as she stared at the path directly ahead of them. Korra was trying to remain calm.

Opal looked at her with puppy dog eyes, "I really am sorry Korra."

Korra smiled at her before draping her arm across Opal's shoulders as they walked. Opal was her friend, and friends stick by each other no matter what. Speaking of friends, Korra looked around for Asami. She spotted her near the back of the group, seemingly keeping to herself.

Just as Korra was about to go over to her, she immediately stopped herself when she saw Mako walk up next to Asami and engaged her in a conversation. Mako seemed to be gentle with her, lightly smiling as he talked to her. Asami looked relieved, replying instantly with a smile on her face. Maybe it was Korra's imagination, but it looked like their hands were brushing one too many times.

Korra turned away quickly, nearly giving herself whiplash.  _What the fuck Korra, you don't have a right to be jealous._ She thought as she remembered Asami's face after Kuvira kissed her. Maybe it was Korra's imagination, but that expression looked way too close to heartbreak.

Just as they arrived at the entrance, Korra felt an arm slip around hers. She turned her head quickly, "As-" she cut herself off upon realizing that it wasn't Asami, but the Kuvira. Korra sagged with disappointment, realizing that Asami was still with Mako at the back of the group, now talking animatedly about Raava knows what.

Korra would admit it, she didn't like seeing them together. She wanted Asami feel that happiness with her and no one else. Once again she sighed,  _You have no right Korra._ she reminded herself again.

Is this how Kuvira feels like? Korra can say for sure now that she didn't like it. But she can't do anything about it. She would have to put a poker face on, pretend like everything was fine.

Kuvira looked perfectly satisfied with her arm wrapped around Korra, taking pleasure from the jealous onlookers who seemed to want to be in Kuvira's place. Korra pulled her arm away from Kuvira. Once again, Korra couldn't give two shits about the onlookers. She was tired of being manhandled, both literally and figuratively.

She might have to deal with this sooner than she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Special thanks to Director550 and kittymannequin for having my back on this one! Never would've gotten through it without them! (I know I take forever okay haha)
> 
> So I'll have the next one out soon (and I mean soon this time, I swear)
> 
> As usual, all forms of feedback (kudos, comments, and bookmarks) are greatly appreciated!


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they FINALLY enter the theme park (Yay!) haha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh I've been wanting to post this chapter the moment I released the one before this.  
> It was just sitting there in my laptop like, "Come and get me" and I'm like, "No, I am stronger than you."
> 
> I broke and here I am, giving in to temptation. 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Cuz I didn't. You'll see why soon.

The group wandered aimlessly around the theme park, messily eating elephant-turkey wings as they gestured wildly at the rides and attractions around them.

They couldn't decide which ride they wanted to go on first, so they decided to eat on it and let their feet lead them to whatever they found interesting.

Asami was delicately nibbling on her wing (which were surprisingly delicious) when she heard screaming. She quickly looked around, finding the source. Asami was just about ready to whip out her taser from her bag when she realized that screams were absolutely normal here. She tried to take calming breaths. _Asami calm down, you're safe here._

She wiped the sweat forming on her brow, _Must be the heat causing my brain to malfunction._

Summer was quite literally around the corner, Asami could feel it. Even on lazy days she could already feel the heat. But being in a theme park under the sun with no shade whatsoever to protect them was a completely different question. Asami didn't want to get a heat stroke. She looked at her companions, seeing that they were fanning themselves to somehow avoid the heat. They weren't as animated as before, as if their energy was being evaporated by the heat; Mako and Opal have gotten quiet, Korra squinting so hard against the brightness it looked like her eyes were closed, Bolin practically leaving skid marks as he dragged his feet and Kuvira glared at the sun like she wanted to kill it.

Asami was struck with an idea.

Leaving the group to walk over to the Park Directory, Asami grabbed one of the maps left on the stand. Her eyes did a quick scan before they visibly lit up. _Perfect._

"Hey guys!" she said as she rejoined the group, "I know what we could do first."

Bolin dramatically slumped, "Don't make me guess Asami, it's too hot to think." he groaned as he leaned on his brother for support.

Mako rolled his eyes at his brother. "What do you have in mind Asami?"

After Asami woke from her nap, she and Mako couldn't stand the awkward silence between them when they were driving here, so they decided to break the ice and start talking. After a while, Asami happened to look at the side view mirror and notice her shirt. She immediately looked at Mako and started laughing hysterically. Mako looked at her like she was crazy and asked what was so funny. She pointed out how her shirt reminded her of Mako's particularly pointy eyebrows. He looked down at her shark with eyebrows shirt and smacked her on the shoulder, but laughed along with her nonetheless. They immediately clicked after that.

Asami just smiled instead of replying, gesturing everyone to follow her. She walked briskly, wanting to get rid of the heat as soon as possible, not even bothering to check if the others were following.

She stopped in front of the entrance of the ride, the proximity to the ride made her skin already feel cooler than it felt a minute ago. Asami turned around to face the group, using her arms to dramatically display the ride like it was a grand prize. Bolin stood awestruck, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open, "Asami you fucking _genius_."

Behind her, Asami could hear the excited shouts and squeals of the theme park's patrons followed by a huge splash of water. She could smell a hint of chlorine in the air and hear the laughter of the people getting on the ride. Log rides would be the perfect solution to the heat.

Korra laughed at Bolin's reaction. "You only noticed now? Asami's always brilliant." Korra said as she smiled at her. Asami tried to hide her blush at the compliment.

Mako, however, seemed to notice this. "Oh what's that Asami? Is it getting too hot for you? Do you need some water?" he joked as he pointed at her blushing cheeks. Asami jokingly slapped him on the shoulder, blushing even harder.

While Mako continued to tease her, Asami realized Korra got quiet. Just as Asami turned around to look at Korra, Mako pulled her along to fall in line.

The line wasn't that long, thank god. Soon they were standing behind the bar that separated the line from the ride. From where they were standing, they could see a great view of the ride. Opal pointed at the highest point of the ride, "Oh my God guys, that jump is huge!"

 _Oh shit, she's right._ Asami thought as they all stared open mouthed at the ride. This was easily the highest jump she's ever seen, and that's saying something because Asami has been to _a lot_ of theme parks. The jump was easily 10 stories high. _How is this even safe?_ Asami wondered, remembering that log rides didn't provide seatbelts. They watched with terror in their eyes as the next log came into view at the peak. At first, the riders were squealing when they were about to tip over, then screaming followed as they descended at a blinding speed, then after that just dead silence as the reached the bottom.

 _Did they just faint?!?_ Asami thought as she looked at her companions excitedly. She knew she should be terrified but she wasn't an adrenaline junkie for nothing. Everyone was jumping with excitement as the bars lifted to let the group get in their respective logs. But before they moved to get into the logs, Asami saw Opal look at Korra worriedly, who only shook her head as a response. _What's going on?_

They would have to split into two groups, since a log allowed only 3 passengers. Asami was just about to ask who was riding with who, when she noticed that Korra was still standing behind the bars, wringing her hands as she stared at the floor.

Asami looked at Korra worriedly as she walked back towards her. "Korra?" she said as she placed a hand on Korra's shoulder.

Korra jumped, as if just realizing that Asami was there. "Oh, hey Asami." Korra smiled, though Asami could tell it didn't quite reach her eyes.

That made Asami furrow her eyebrows. Korra's smiles were always genuine. "Is something wrong?" she asked.

Korra's eyes widened for a second before she shook her head quickly, "Oh no, I'm fine! Just feeling a bit sick, must be the elephant-turkey wings. You should all go ahead without me though. Don't let me spoil your fun."

Suddenly Kuvira popped up beside them, smiling sweetly at Korra, "Hey honey, aren't you coming with us?"

Korra glared at Kuvira, _Okay, there is definitely something wrong between them._ Asami thought as she looked at each girl. _  
_

"Just like I was telling _Asami,_ " Korra emphasized Asami's name with another glare in Kuvira's direction, "I'll be sitting this one out."

Kuvira narrowed her eyes at Asami, "Whatever," she said to Korra, but still maintaining eye contact with Asami, "Fine by me." she said before turning away to join the others planning the seating arrangement.

Asami stared confusedly after Kuvira, before Korra grabbed her attention once again, "Don't worry about her, whatever bitterness she's showing is purely for me." Korra said, glaring at Kuvira from the distance.

Korra sounded like she didn't want to talk about it, and Asami wasn't one to pry. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?" she asked as she studied Korra. A while ago, the mentioned girl was practically shaking; her posture rigid, her hands rubbing each other nervously. Whatever that was, she seemed to have it under control now.

Korra shook her head, "Yeah, don't worry. I'll be by the exit when you guys finish." she smiled at Asami before walking away.

 _That smile still didn't reach her eyes._ She thought worriedly as she stared at Korra's retreating figure.

"Hey Asami! You coming or what?" Asami heard Bolin's voice shout from behind her.

With one last worried glance at Korra, she turned around to run over to them. They decided that they would divide into groups of two; Asami, Bolin and Opal in one log, Kuvira and Mako in another.

As Asami's log glided along the water smoothly, their group decided to distract themselves with silly antics; with Asami and Opal (being perfect dorks) singing the 'Little Einstein's' theme song, changing the lyrics to "We're going on a trip, in our favorite plastic log," while Bolin was splashing water at the two girls, laughing when they squealed.

But when they reached the point where the ride ascends, Bolin and Opal have gotten quiet. Asami looked back at them (she volunteered to stay in front because she may or may not be slightly masochistic) and laughed at the sight. Bolin, who was at the back, was gripping the railings like his life depended on it (Okay, maybe it did) with his eyes looking just about ready to pop out of their sockets. Opal, who was right behind Asami, was hunched forward, muttering rapidly what sounded like prayers. Asami, on the other hand, was practically jumping in her seat, eagerly awaiting the time the log reaches the peak.

The ascent was painfully slow, maybe because the jump was huge or Asami was just excited, we'll never know.

Soon enough, they were less than 5 feet away from the drop. Asami turned around to look at her friends, "Get ready!" she shouted, smiling so hard her face almost split in half.

"We're obviously ready!" Opal shouted from what sounded like the floor of the log, she was hiding _that_ low.

"I sure hope so, because I'll have this enlarged and framed!" Asami laughed as she turned to face their inevitable doom.

That made Opal straighten up and look at Asami like she was crazy, "Asami, what are you ta-" she was cut off when the conveyor belt beneath them silenced and led them plunging downwards at a tear-jerking speed.

Opal and Bolin let out high pitched screams while Asami looked around for her target. She spotted a small black object coming towards them. _Gotcha._ Asami winked, held up a peace sign, and stuck out her tongue just as the camera flashed. Opal screamed, " _Are you fucking kidding me Asami?!_ "

Asami just laughed as she raised her arms up and screamed along with them. The ground was coming up fast, and soon enough Asami sitting in front was soon rewarded by a huge splash of water. From years of experience, she made sure her mouth was closed when the water came. Bolin and Opal weren't so fortunate, coughing and squealing in disgust behind her. She knew Mako and Kuvira were right behind them. If Asami's ears weren't fooling her, she thought she heard Mako letting out girlish screams as their log came crashing down.

Just as Asami turned around to point that out, the trio was sprayed by a sudden jet of water, followed by what sounded like guffaws. If they were wet a while ago, they were _soaked_ now. Asami turned to glare at the culprit but smiled instead when she saw Korra laughing behind the barrier, a coin-operated water cannon at her disposal. Korra laughed even harder when Opal gave her the finger.

A few minutes later, the group met up with each other, each one chattering excitedly about the ride, even Kuvira was smiling.

Asami was laughing along with them when she saw Korra walk towards them with what looked like the pictures in her hands. Asami ran to her, in hopes of saving the pictures from Opal ripping them apart. "Hey!" Asami said, jokingly slapping Korra on the shoulder for getting them soaked. "You couldn't resist, could you?"

Korra smirked before shrugging, "A girl's gotta have some fun right?"

Asami laughed, grabbing the pictures from her. Asami fisted some of her shirt in her hand, squeezing out as much water as she could as she looked at the picture. "I am _so_ framing this. Opal's face is priceless! You think she'll be pissed?" she said, still looking at the picture. A few seconds passed and Asami didn't hear a reply from the other girl. Asami looked up questioningly and almost regretted it. _Almost._

Korra was not looking at Asami's face (where a normal person usually looks when they talk to someone) but at Asami's clothes. Asami looked down at herself, about to ask if there was something on her shirt, but she stopped herself once she realized why Korra was staring.

Saying Asami was soaked was an understatement; her clothes to stuck to her figure, clinging to her curves, making the light muscle of her abdomen visible. The shirt was already worn due to over use, the water making the fabric nearly transparent, revealing a shocking crimson red bra underneath. The shirt grew heavier with the extra weight, causing the front to sink lower, showing far more cleavage than what Asami thought to be decent.

Asami looked back up Korra, apologizing as she tried fixing her shirt. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Korra's tongue peek out as she subconsciously licked her lips, causing blood to rush to Asami's face. She took in Korra, how her half-lidded eyes never left Asami, how her glistening lips suddenly looked very tantalizing. Asami didn't even notice when their bodies drew closer, not sure who was moving, only to find herself dropping her hands to her sides as Korra now stood in front of her, barely a foot away. Asami's heart raced when Korra's lips drew closer, and time slowed as she closed her eyes.

Just as soon as their lips were a mere inch apart, Asami never thought it was possible to feel your heart literally break until now when Korra stopped, turning her face away as she said, "I'm sorry, I can't do this."

Asami stared at her incredulously, feeling like a part of her just died when Korra pulled away, then a voice called out from behind them, "Hey Asami!" causing the pair to jump apart guiltily. Asami took in a deep breath in hopes to look normal before turning to the source of the voice. It was Mako.

He was walking towards them with a smile on his face, "What are you guys still doing here? The others are on the way to bathrooms to change. Come with me?" He said as he slung an arm around Asami.

She looked at Korra, who was looking at her with the most unreadable expression on her face before turning away. Asami nodded, "Yeah, I should definitely get out of these clothes." Mako started to pull her away but stopped, pausing to look back at Korra, who seemed to find the floor very interesting as she crossed her arms. "Are you coming Korra?" Mako asked.

Korra looked up, only to avoid eye contact with Asami, "No, I'll be here." Korra said angrily as she walked back toward the barrier with the water cannons.

Mako started to pull Asami towards the bathrooms before asking, "What's wrong with Korra? She's been acting weird for some reason."

Asami looked over shoulder, staring at the retreating figure that was Korra before looking back at Mako sadly, "I don't know."

\----------------------------------

As Asami changed, she distracted herself by letting her thoughts wander. She thought about the ride, how fun it was to be with Opal and Bolin, how she actually felt like she belonged. But eventually, her thoughts returned to Korra.

 _She doesn't feel the same way, Asami._ She thought as she subconsciously stopped what she was doing and stared at the mirror in front of her. Asami looked at the girl in the reflection, the girl that looked like her but then not quite the same. This girl looked tired, not just physically, but emotionally as well. She looked like she had the weight of the world on her shoulders and her eyes mirrored so much hurt. Asami looked away from her reflection. _Typical teenager angst,_ she thought bitterly.

She actually believed that Korra liked her back, at least a little bit. She thought the blushing and the playful flirting had something more to it, but she was wrong. _Why would she pull away if she did like me?_ she thought as she felt tears start to form in her eyes. Asami angrily wiped them away. _No Asami, you are stronger than this. Don't allow yourself to be so pathetic._

Even if the more dominant voice in her head kept telling her to open her eyes and face the facts, a small voice inside her head reasoned, still wanting to believe that Korra felt the same way. _She's probably just confused, I mean, she looks like she's having a hell of a time in an emotional roller coaster. Maybe it's not what you think._

There was definitely something off about the girl. Her emotions changed so quickly over the past 30 minutes; one moment she was nervous, then happy, then distant and angry in another. _Maybe she pulled away because she had other things to think about,_ Asami tried to convince herself. It wasn't working.

She was still hung up on the fact that despite what Asami perceived to be signs, Korra did not return her feelings and Asami was just being a hopeless romantic. Her heart told her this was the truth and there was nothing more to it than that when Korra pulled away. But Asami chose to believe that Korra had other problems to deal with in order to save herself from any more heartbreak, even if not all of her agreed.

So Asami would put her feelings aside and try to help Korra past whatever she was dealing with. She just wanted to be there for her, in any way possible. No matter how much it hurt, she would take it all in stride and accept whatever was coming to her.

Asami left the bathroom in a somewhat drier state. She saw her friends near the barrier, debating animatedly on which ride to go on next. Korra was with them, laughing and not bothering to contribute in the conversation. Once again, Asami saw the smile didn't reach her eyes.

 _Don't take it personally Asami. It's probably not you,_ a part of Asami thought as she rejoined the group, but another part of her disagrees. _But my heart tells me otherwise._

She shook her head. _No, I will not jeopardize our friendship just because I was being selfish. I can't force her to like me back. She doesn't deserve that._

She attempted to catch Korra's eye across the group and gave her what she hoped to be a reassuring smile, as if to say, _it's okay_. Korra let out a breath, as if she was holding it in and smiled back, seemingly relieved that she understood. _She will need you, not romantically, but you need to be there for her,_ Asami reminded herself. _  
_

She kept repeating the following words in her head. Maybe if she kept saying it to herself, she might fool herself into believing it.

_I'm okay with just being friends._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooo, Asami reacting badly to screams? Huh, I'm sensing *jazz hands* BACKSTORY!!!
> 
> Totally expect Korra's point of view soon ;)
> 
> Note: I'm totally exaggerating on the height of the log jump. Unless of course, you know a log jump that high, I'd love to know about it. Trust me, I will hunt that ride down. :))
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this one! As always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are REALLY appreciated! They push me to write and motivate me to post sooner haha
> 
> Tell me what you think of this chapter! :)
> 
> Special thanks to Director550 and kittymannequin, thanks for being there for me guys!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra is haunted by her past

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slight delay with the updates guys. Life's doing the thing again. 
> 
> So this chapter's just a preparation for the next one, where the shit happens. 
> 
> I advise you all, let go of all the predictions you have. Try to keep your mind blank as you read this. Try to be open to new guesses. Trust me on this one. 
> 
> Because I have a feeling none of you would've guessed what I have planned ;)
> 
> I'm not really confident about this one, so sorry in advance. 
> 
> Here we go :)

After spending an hour or so going on kiddie rides, the group happened to pass by the section of the park that provided carnival games. Opal almost ripped off Bolin's arm as she pulled him towards the games, eager to win a prize. The four remaining people excitedly followed.

The booth they chose was perfect for them, a total of six stations armed with water cannons. In order to win a prize, they had to shoot down enough targets with the water cannons and nothing else. Korra chose a station, one between Asami and Kuvira. They paid the booth manager and soon the cannons started to shoot out water, much to everyone's delight. _Psssh, what a bunch of dorks._ Korra thought when everyone put all their efforts into the game and squealed when they would get wet.

While laughing along with the others, Korra studied the girl beside her. Asami seemed like she was enjoying herself. She was laughing, whenever she smiled it was like her face would split into two and there was a certain sparkle in her eyes. Korra hoped she hadn't ruined that.  Asami probably felt her gaze on her because she looked at Korra and said, "The game too hard for you?" she said with a smirk. 

Korra rolled her eyes at the other girl but was relieved on the inside _, Thank God she's acting normal. I don't know what I'd do if she were mad at me, even if I deserve it after the way I treated her._

Korra was beyond happy that Asami understood why she pulled away. It would be wrong if she kissed her. No matter how much she wanted to, you can't just kiss people you like when you still have a not-so-girlfriend.

Korra internally rolled her eyes. It's ironic really. She was being put in the same situation she was years ago, but the roles were annoyingly switched. It's like the world just exists to mock her. 

Korra glanced at the odd bunch that was her friends. Kuvira, being the typical competitive bastard she was, allowed nothing to deter her concentration as she shot down the targets. So if a giant pink laser beam appeared to blast them from existence, Kuvira wouldn't give two shits about it because those damn targets were priority number one. Bolin was practically shitting his pants based on the level of concentration shown on his face; his shoulders hunched, eyebrows drawn, and his tongue sticking out as he displayed his poor attempts in shooting down the targets and Opal currently abandoning her station to cheer her boyfriend on. Korra made a mental note to never get them as team mates if ever they plan to go paintballing anytime soon.

Her other friends didn't seem to be paying attention as well. Instead of actually using the water cannon on what it's for, Mako and Asami were currently having a water fight between themselves. They redirected the water by placing their hands in front of the cannon and angling them to spray the other. Since Mako's hands were bigger and coild better handle the pressure of the water, he seemed to get more water to hit Asami.

Asami seemed to give up, just aiming the water cannon at Mako, downright soaking the guy.

Mako grunted, "Hey! You fucking cheater!" he said as rushed up to Asami and giving her a bear hug, effectively wetting her as well and causing her to scream in surrender.

Korra looked away. _Dammit, Korra. You don't get to be jealous. You're the one that pulled away. Do not lead her on if you can't deliver. You_ _cannot_ _do this to her. She doesn't deserve that._ she thought as she gripped the water cannon harder. _Besides, why would she want me if she has Mako?_

But no matter how hard she tried, Korra couldn't get rid of the look on Asami's face when she pulled away. As if she wanted Korra to kiss her.

Korra mentally slapped herself. _No Korra, she was probably just too nice to reject you! She can't possibly like you! She's too smart, nice, funny, brilliant... DAMMIT, focus on the game!_ She interrupted her inner monologue when she noticed she was spacing out. She was accidentally starting to spray the manager, earning herself a glare. With an apology, she redirected her attention to the targets.

But Korra knew that look on Asami's face. That look where your eyes conveyed so much hurt and heartbreak. Korra should know that look, she wore it once. You don't just wear that face for no reason. Korra knew that pain all too well, and she didn't want Asami to feel that pain , Korra cared about her too much.

 _You care about her too much?_ a voice in her head asked sarcastically. Korra cringed, remembering how even if she were the one to pull away, she still got angry and pushed Asami away, literally and figuratively.

 _Well, whether or not she likes you... back... You still owe her an explanation, especially after you treated her like shit after you pulled away. But not right now, not when she seems to have so much fun._ She told herself almost bitterly, sneaking a glance at the two lovebirds. _Act normal, Korra._

After a few minutes worth of attempts, Korra couldn't shoot down any of the targets. Probably supernatural interference (what other reason could there be? It was statistically impossible for her not to shoot down a single target.) "Damnit! My cannon's busted!" she pouted as she crossed her arms.

Asami laughed beside her, "You sure about that?" she shooed Korra away before she manned Korra's cannon and consecutively shot down 3 targets. Asami flipped her hair and smirked at Korra.

 _Act normal._  

Korra snorted, "Lucky shot." She said as she tried to hide the blush that formed by that hairflip.  _Curse_ _that_ _hairflip_. _It's_ _the_ _spawn_ _of_ _the_ _devil_.

She playfully shoved Asami away and tried her cannon again. No such luck. "Okay, this cannon's playing tricks on me. Sir, I demand a refund!" she said, but the manager just glared at her again like she was crazy.

Asami laughed, "There's no need for that. You just need to estimate the trajectory and find the right angle in order to produce enough force to increase the momentum of the water to knock the targets down."

Korra stopped listening the moment she heard the word _estimate. "_ Huh _?"_

Asami just smiled at Korra. "Come on Korra, it's basic Physics. Don't you remember studying projectile motion?" Korra shook her head, "Professor Bataar's class?" Korra shook her head again, "We learned it a few days ago?" which Korra shook her head at again.

Asami stared at her incredulously, "Really, Korra?"

Korra held up her hands, "Don't you judge me, I have my flaws, despite my superior intellect." Korra tried to flip her hair but failed spectacularly due to it's length.

She tried to play it off as swatting a bug flying by her ear. "Besides, I doubt projects lotion whatevers could even apply to this. Nothing the school teaches ever applies in real life! I bet even _you_ couldn't prove me otherwise!"

Asami placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at Korra, "Oh, is that a challenge?"

Korra crossed her arms as she leaned forward with a smirk. "Bring it on, lady!"

Asami grabbed Korra by the shoulders and positioned her behind the water cannon. Korra readied herself by gripping her "busted" cannon. Korra looked at her and smirked. Asami seemed to be hesitating.

 _Ha, I am so going to prove her wrong._ she thought as Asami stopped hesitating and moved towards Korra.

What Korra hadn't expected was for Asami to wrap her arms around Korra, causing her breath to hitch.

Korra sneaked a glance at Kuvira. Thankfully, she didn't seem to notice Asami's presence just yet, her eyes still glued to the targets in front of her.

Completely forgetting about Asami as she warily watched Kuvira, Korra jumped as she felt the other girl's hands brush against her arms.

Asami moved Korra's arms to guide them to the proper angle. The touch brought a blush to Korra's face. When she felt Asami's chest press against her back, Korra lost all control and the blush on her face was now on full blast.

 _Well, at least she can't see me blush._ She thought as she grew conscious of her breathing. _Who grows conscious of their breathing?!_ she thought as she felt Asami's breath on her neck.  _Okay, apparently I do._ she thought as she started to hyperventilate.

Just as she felt Asami's hands on hers, a voice came from beside them, " _What the fuck do you think you're doing_?", causing Asami to jump away from Korra, who was almost grateful for the distraction, seeing how she didn't want to die from lack of oxygen intake.

"Relax, I was only trying to help her.", holding up her hands in a placating manner. But the source of the voice, Kuvira, didn't seem to be in the mood to calm down.  

Kuvira stormed up to Asami, "Don't tell me to fucking relax. Stay away from her." she said, leaving mere inches between their faces. "She's mine bitch."

Korra's vision tunneled as her anger flared, "Get the fuck off her." grabbing Kuvira by the shoulders and shove her away from Asami, making Kuvira stumble back, "What the fuck is your problem Kuvira? She was only helping me! I told you that whatever you have against us _stays_ between us, so don't fucking drag her into this!" she said, giving Kuvira another shove, this time making her fall on her ass.

She felt a hand touch her lightly on the shoulder. It was a guy's, judging by it's size, but right now she couldn't care less who's hand it was. She shrugged the hand off. Korra bent down, getting at eye level with Kuvira. "You don't get to fucking talk shit like that to _anyone_ , especially not _her,_ and _especially_ not after what _you_ did to me."

Everyone was shocked into silence, even Korra herself was stunned at what she said. They had an unspoken agreement that no one ever mentions what happened before. _That time_ just brought too many painful memories, especially to Korra. 

But Kuvira didn't have enough tact to be even fazed by it. What Korra did not expect was for Kuvira to lean upwards, placing her lips near Korra's ear, whispering so no one else would hear, "Now that you've pretty much confirmed to me your feelings for her, trust me when I say I'll make her life a living hell and _you are exactly like me_." she leaned back with a smirk on her face.

Korra leaned away from Kuvira, disgust clearly written on her face. "Fuck you, Kuvira."

With a final glare in Kuvira's direction, Korra stormed away from the group, not bothering to even spare a glance at the others as she stalked away.

 _I'm going to kill her someday and I'll make sure no one's there to stop me._ She thought as she leaned on the barrier separating the park's annoyingly fake decorations and the people. _Great, I've stooped low enough to insulting inanimate objects_. The heat must be getting to her. You could practically cook an egg on Korra's head, both from the heat and her temper. She opened the water bottle she had with her and dumped it's contents on her head.

"You do know there is a nation-wide water shortage right?" A voice said as someone leaned on the barrier next to her. _Asami_.

Korra sighed, _Great_.

"You do know that you just rode a log jump and played a water themed carnival game in a park that uses hundreds of gallons of water just for people's amusement?" Korra countered, still glaring at the poor attempts at decorating.

Asami thought about it for a moment, "Touche."

The pair remained silent for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts. Soon enough, Asami spoke up, "You didn't have to do that, you know." 

They both knew what she was talking about and didn't need to be voiced out loud. Korra sighed, "Yeah I did. She needed to be put in her place, God knows no one did when she needed it a long time ago."

Asami furrowed her eyebrows at what she said, but Korra just shook her head, "I don't want to talk about it right now. _"_

Asami nodded, seeming to understand that she needed her space. Korra was relieved, most of her friends would keep prying until she breaks, while Asami seemed to care more about what the other person felt. _More reason as to why she's too good for you Korra,_ she broodingly thought before Asami spoke up.  

"Well, we haven't rode on any rides together, since you were preoccupied," Asami emphasized the last word when she threw her thumb back, implying Kuvira, which Korra laughed lightly at. "I'll try to grab you as soon as possible on the next ride, maybe then we can finally sneak one past Kuvira."

Korra was grateful for the change of topic but she hesitated, not wanting to irk Kuvira. This would most definitely piss Kuvira off, but she can do whatever hell she wants and Kuvira would just have to deal with it.

 _There may be consequences Korra,_  another part of her thought _,_ instantly ruining her mood once again. She was about to say so, but stopped when she looked at Asami, with her beautiful green puppy dog eyes and pouting lips. _She is so doing that on purpose._

 _I'm only hanging out with her as a friend, so I have nothing to feel guilty about._ But she still couldn't shake what Kuvira said, because a part of her thinks she's right.

So she nodded nonetheless, "Sure." she said before looking back at the decorations.

Asami seemed to notice her hesitation and placed a hand on top of the her's, hoping to reassure her. Korra smiled sadly at her, but proceeded to say nothing more.

\----------------------------------

Asami sighed heavily as they continued to get lost in their own thoughts. If Korra didn't want to talk about it, then Asami could respect that. Asami would still be there for her no matter what _. That's what friends do, don't they?_ Asami thought almost bitterly. She mentally shook herself, _You're okay with this, Asami. Just friends is okay._

She knew she was lying to herself, but she wanted Korra in her life, may it be a friend or a lover, it didn't matter. She didn't want to lose the one bright light in her life. 

She glanced back down at their joined hands before looking at the gorgeous blue eyes that almost always occupied her thoughts and she decided, _This is going to be harder than I thought._

\--------------------------------

As she and Asami walked back, Korra braced herself for the scolding her friends would give her for acting like that earlier. What Korra did was inappropriate, especially in public, even she knew that. But when she and Asami reached them, Korra was pleasantly surprised when no one (not even Mako, the nag lord. That was saying something) said a word about what happened earlier with Kuvira.

She supposes no one wanted to talk about it and chose to respect Korra's privacy. She was grateful for great friends, but she couldn't help but feel a bit guilty for acting like a brat the whole day. She swore to herself she wouldn't allow Kuvira to get to her from then on.

After a few minutes, the group seemed to return to it's natural atmosphere, much to Korra's relief. She didn't want to be the reason why the day was ruined. They were back on track, looking for the next ride to go on. The brothers were in charge of choosing; Bolin pointing animatedly around him while his brother was exasperatedly complaining beside him. 

"Bolin, will you just choose already? You're getting on my nerves."

"It's not as easy as it looks okay?"

"You've been pointing at 10 rides so far! If you point at another one, I swear I will-"

"Ooh how about that one Mako?"

The distinct sound of face palming followed by a deep sigh was the only thing heard for a second.

"We already rode that one."

"How about that one? It looks fun."

"Last time we rode that you hurled."

"Damnit Mako! It was _one_ time!"

"I seem to remember holding your hair back more than once after that kiddie ride."

"You swore never to mention that! Now my manly pride is hurt."

"What manly pride?"

"I swear to God, Mako. Don't make me tell Korra about that scratch that _someone_ got on Naga."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Kor-"

"If you don't want me to tell Opal about your 'sightseeing' activities, you will shut up now."

"... I can't look talk to you right now."

"Why? Too busy looking at that other girl?"

"What?!" A voice too high to be Mako's interrupted. 

"Nothing sweetie!"

"I broke no promises."

"..."

"..."

"How about that ride?"

An even louder sound of face palming rang in the air.

Korra groaned. They argued like this every single day. You'd think she'd be used to it by now, but someone's gotta put them in their place. 

Grabbing them by their collars, she separated them at arm's length before smacking the backs of their heads. "Will you two just decide already?"

Mako rubbed his head before gesturing at his brother, "He was the one who couldn't decide! Blame him!"

Bolin placed a hand on his chest, feigning hurt. "I thought we were _brothers_." he said with a scandalized whisper.  

Korra threw her hands up in defeat. She started to stalk off to cool down somewhere, preferrably where there idiots weren't any around, when she heard Bolin say, "Hey Mako, how about _that_ one?"

Just as she turned around to give him a good beating, she saw what he was talking about and stopped.

The ride they could see all the way from the parking lot was right in front of them, and wow, was Korra wrong about its size. It looked big from the parking lot, but it was _gigantic_ from where they stood now. 

Mako stood beside his brother with his arms limp by his sides. "No. Nope. Not riding that."

Asami suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started to herd all of them towards the entrance. 

Everyone was laughing and giggling as they patiently awaited the rollercoaster to arrive in front of the gates. Asami was already behind the first gate, where the front car of the rollercoaster would be. Korra was about to move towards Asami (after all, Korra made a promise to go with her on the next ride) when she felt a hand pull her back. 

Just as Korra was about to shrug the hand off, thinking it was some weirdo who thought they knew her (it has happened before), but was surprised to find it was just Opal. Okay, maybe not too surprised. Opal was always worrying about her.

Right now, Opal was not the carefree and happy-go-lucky friend she knew, but the caring and loving sister Korra never had. She could always count on that Opal for advice when she needed it the most, but right now, she didn't.

Korra pulled her arm back, she didn't like being hustled by anyone, even if that person was Opal. "What is it?"

Opal raised an eyebrow at the sudden hostility Korra was displaying, "We both know this isn't a good idea Korra. Go back."

A part of Korra knew Opal was right. This probably wouldn't end well.

Just as Korra decided to agree and wait by the exit, her vision tunneled when she saw Mako approach Asami, casually leaning on the barrier, probably asking if he could ride with her. Korra saw red when she saw Mako's hand come in contact with Asami's skin more times than Korra found as strictly platonic.

Korra bristled as she turned back to Opal, "What? You don't think I can handle it? 

Opal placed her hands on her hips, "Actually, yeah, I don't think you can handle it!" she shouted,

"Who are you to know what's best for me?" Korra shouted back, she knows she's being irrational, but the sight of Asami being with someone else hurt her more than she'd like to admit.

Opal looked hurt, but she took in a deep breath and tried again, "Korra, please, think about this. I don't want you hurting. I care about you too much."

Korra softened, _Even Opal's too good for me. Maybe everyone is._  She risked a quick glance around. As expected, everyone was now observing the pair, but Korra only took note of one person. Asami was looking at her worriedly while Mako seemed to be trying to distract her. 

Korra looked back at Opal, "I know Opal, and I'm sorry for snapping like that. But I think I can do this."

Opal looked relieved that Korra was somewhat calm again but still looked skeptical, "Korra, I know it's been long enough since your last episode to regain your confidence, but you still have to be careful."

Korra gave Opal what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "I'm getting better Opal. even you have to notice that. I really think I can do this, have some faith in me." Korra said as she checked if Asami was still with Mako.

Opal took note of that glance but chose to say nothing about it, much to Korra's relief.

Opal sighed, "Alright. Just _please_ be careful."

"Please, careful is my middle name." Korra said with a smirk.

Korra turned around to walk towards Asami and Mako. She took in a deep breath to calm her nerves. As much as Korra wanted to strangle Mako for attempting to steal her gir- her  _friend,_ he was like a brother to Korra and he had every right to pursue Asami. Though a part of her wanted to strangle _herself_ for thinking that.

Korra plastered on a grin that felt way too wide to be considered a smile as she stopped in front of the pair.

"Hey Mako! Do you mind if I partnered with Asami on this one? I did promise her!" she mentally face palmed herself.

 _Oh god, that sounded really bad, even to me. That was even faker that Kim Kardashian's boobs._ She smiled wider in an attempt to play off her tone. She could almost feel her face rip in half. _Fuck._

Mako raised an eyebrow skeptically, "Are you sure?"

Korra hoped she didn't permanently damage her face muscles, considering how she couldn't lose the smile. "I'm sure!" _Put me in a dress and plaster me on the side of a milk carton, that would be perfect._

Mako thankfully put her out of her misery and allowed Korra to relax her rather constipated looking face.

"Alright." he said, still looking at Korra as if she randomly grew a second head. "But Asami here owes me one." he said with a wink in Asami's direction. 

Korra struggled not to rip her hair out in frustration while Asami laughed and gave Mako a brief hug. "You can count on it."

Mako gave her a sweet smile before looking for a new partner to ride with. 

Asami looked at her again and Korra had to almost physically stop herself from using that smile again.

Just as Korra was about to say something about always keeping her promises, she heard someone scream in excitement behind them when she felt Asami jump. Korra studied her but stayed silent. Asami was clutching something in her bag, her chin raised, her eyes glued to the ceiling as she took in deep breaths. After a few seconds, she looked back down at Korra. Korra raised an eyebrow as if to ask if everything was alright but Asami just shook her head in response. Korra placed her hand on her arm and felt Asami lean into the touch. Whatever that was, Asami didn't want to talk about it.

Asami smiled, but it felt almost as fake as Korra's, "So how did you escape Kuvira's evil clutches?" she teased, trying to change the subject.

Korra's face dropped. In her haste to get Mako as far away from Asami as possible, she completely forgot about Kuvira.

Korra turned around slowly, almost expecting Kuvira to pop up like in those horror movies and drag her away from Asami by pulling her feet.

When Korra spotted her, she almost caused a tornado with a huge sigh of relief. 

A few cars back, Kuvira was currently preoccupied, rather uncomfortably at that. Facing away from Asami and Korra, Opal had her arm wrapped around Kuvira as she spoke excitedly, probably about the roller coaster. Kuvira kept trying to pull away, but Opal's arm didn't budge. Opal looked over her shoulder and winked at Korra before resuming the conversation with Kuvira. 

 _God bless you Opal_ , Korra owed Opal _big_ time. 

Asami noticed what Korra was looking at and laughed, "I'll make sure to thank Opal later. She did help the prisoner make her daring escape."

Just as Korra was about to counter with a witty comeback, she heard the hiss of the roller coaster stopping beside them. 

The gates raised to let the park's patrons in. Korra grabbed Asami's hand and led her towards their car, which was all the way in front.

Korra turned to get ready to enter, but stopped dead in her tracks when they reached the front car. 

Korra froze and her vision tunneled. She wasn't aware of anything around her, not even Asami calling her name. All she could focus on was the anxiety building up inside of her. 

Her imagination went wild. She could already imagine the feeling of being put in a simulation of a life-threatening situation, the sensation her body would feel, to experience that delicious rush she learned to love like a drug.

The thought of her feet dangling a hundred feet from the ground as she flew by at a blinding speed made her giddy and scared, it made her scared of enjoying this way too much.

She couldn't stop the memories from flooding her mind, memories she strictly kept in the back of her mind, too painful to think about. That time was filled with fear, pain, and most of all, disgust with herself. She never wanted to be that person again. 

She used all her will power to force those memories back inside the drawer where she kept all her unwanted thoughts.

But at the same time, she didn't want to stop remembering those memories; how the rush felt so good, feeling it course through her veins, how it made her feel unstoppable, like she could do _everything_  if she wanted to. 

She could feel her body getting ready for the rush she was about to experience, how amazing it would be to feel that sensation once again.

 _No Korra,_ she thought as she screwed her eyes shut, _you are stronger than this. You have already overcome it. Don't allow yourself to get lost in it again._  She repeated the words that her therapist kept telling her to repeat to herself whenever she felt the temptation. 

But another part of her was overjoyed, excited that her body would experience that feeling again, that feeling she's been craving for _months_. She felt a shiver go down her spine in anticipation for the high she would feel.

She let loose a breath before counting backwards from ten. She chastised herself, _If you have already overcome it, then you can get through this, you are stronger than it,_ she kept repeating to herself until she felt her heartbeat go back to its normal pace.

She slowly opened her eyes to Asami looking at her worriedly, "Korra? Are you okay?"

She put on a smile that felt a bit too forced, "Yeah, let's do this." She tried not to sound too excited, despite her body practically shaking with anticipation.

She moved to sit down, with Asami following right behind her. She managed to remain calm as she took her place, forcing herself to concentrate on other things; how the air felt cool on her bare legs, how grateful she was for having such amazing friends, how good it felt to have Asami beside her, how Asami was still fiddling with the object in her bag. 

In order to distract herself, Korra was about to ask what was in Asami's bag and why she was so jumpy, but stopped herself when she saw the restraints over their head lower.

Korra could feel her heart pumping again, she closed her eyes, took in deep breaths, repeated the words in head, _You are stronger than it. Don't give in to the temptation. Resist._

She would not allow herself to succumb to it. Never again will she go through what she has already conquered. 

Or what she believed was already conquered.

As the supervisors checked the restraints, Korra couldn't help but remember how she assured Opal that she could handle this. Korra seemed so confident then. She wasn't so sure anymore.

As the train started to move forward, Korra started to panic. She can't do this, not when her heart was racing, her body twitching erratically, her breath getting out of control, all of her waiting for the sensation she missed so much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I don't think I did too well here. I'm sorry about leaving it there. The chapter was getting really long. 
> 
> Any thoughts on Korra? Any about Kuvira and Korra? How about Asami? Are your predictions still the same?
> 
> Let me know what you guys think about this chapter!
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, bookmarks are appreciated :)
> 
> SOOO much thanks to my beta, director550. I could not have gone through this chapter without her!


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the guessing games begin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So the this chapter was supposed to reveal everything (Korra's condition and why Asami reacts to screams) but sadly it got WAY too long. 
> 
> So this chapter gives you guys a better hint as to what's up with these two. 
> 
> Sorry about cutting it short. I'll have the next chapter out soon, within the next 5 days. Swear bear. 
> 
> Note: I'm sorry for chapter. I don't know what to feel about it.

The excited screams of the park's guests bounced off the walls as the gates lifted to let them take their seats, making Asami cringe and panic slightly as memories escaped the closet Asami desperately kept them in.

Asami clutched her bag like her life depended on it. Or at least, that's what her mind told her.

Asami took in deep breaths as she and Korra walked towards their seats,  _You're safe here Asami. Nothing to worry about,_  she thought as she clutched Korra's hand tighter.

It wasn't like she was scared of the rides, _hell no_ , she loved rides. Then again, she supposed that was the problem.

Occasionally, she'd let her walls down, usually when she was distracted - like being with Korra and her friends or rides that got her excited - and things that reminded her of her past would catch her off guard. The strongest one was the screams.

She had to go through so much after _that time_  happened. Dealing with... Probably shock or trauma? (Asami didn't know at that time, she was just a kid.) Whatever it was, she had to deal with it everyday as she grew up. No one, especially no child, should ever go through that.

Almost every night since the incident, she'd wake up with tears in her eyes because her mind decided to torment her by reliving the incident. She'd hug herself tight while she repeated her promise to her mother, that she'd remain strong until eventually exhaustion would catch up to her and pull her into a restless slumber.

Her mind was the most damaged. Asami's therapist often states how lucky she is to have taken the event relatively lightly and no heavy after effects are evidently seen. Or maybe Asami was just really good at hiding it.

Her therapist didn't say anything, but they had an unspoken agreement that Asami will never be able to fully heal.

Sometimes, Asami believes her father has it worse. Sometimes, she'd wake up in the middle of the night, not completely aware of why she woke up, only to have her ears register the sound of someone crying. Asami didn't need to check on her father, knowing it was him crying and he didn't want her to see him in such a vulnerable state. She also did not want to disturb him because she _knew_ that kind of pain, that kind of pain that can never be truly healed. So she would try to fall asleep again, her father's cries almost a lullaby, leaving him to accept the loss at his own time.

But what her father experienced was nothing compared to what Asami went through, in fact, Asami thinks not even her father can completely understand the weight of the impact such incidents can have on a seven year old girl.

She grew up thinking that she was permanently damaged- damaged goods if you will- making her think that no one would ever want her, because you can't fix something that's broken beyond repair.

So she relied on no one but herself. It wasn't that she didn't want to trust anyone, it's just that she couldn't bring herself to. Losing the most important person in her life made her believe nothing lasted forever, that the only consistent factor in her life was herself. You can't count on someone to stay with you forever, because eventually, everyone leaves. Asami gripped her bag tighter at the thought.

Asami was pulled from her reverie when she stumbled into the back of Korra. The girl seemed to have stopped and released her hold on Asami's hand. Asami circled around to face her, letting go of her bag, temporarily forgetting her fear. Her eyebrows furrowed in concern upon seeing Korra's face.

Korra's eyes were screwed shut, her mouth seemed to be mumbling words, though Asami couldn't hear anything. Korra's eyes flew open when Asami placed her hand on her arm worriedly. Asami almost did a double take once registering the emotion clearly displayed in the other girl's eyes.

The look on Korra's face was too familiar for Asami's tastes, after all, it was the face that stared back at her in the mirror after waking up from a nightmare from her past.

The look in Korra's eyes overwhelmed Asami for a while, causing her to relive the fear she felt whenever she'd have that nightmare. She shook her head and focused on the task at hand,

"Korra? Are you okay?", her concern for Korra overpowering her own sense of panic.

She gave Asami what seemed like it was supposed to be a smile but ended up looking like a grimace as she replied, sounding less like she was convincing Asami and more like she was convincing herself. "Yeah, let's do this." 

It was odd, Asami couldn't tell whether Korra was excited or terrified. _Maybe she was nervous? No, that wasn't it._ Asami never pegged her for the type. Asami couldn't put her finger on it, but she supposes this was hardly the time to analyze her friend.

"Alright." Asami said as she took hold of Korra's hand again.

Without another word, they walked along side each other as they headed towards their chosen car.

Asami couldn't help but notice how Korra gripped her hand tighter than before, but Asami didn't let go, instead held on to Korra with equal intensity. Whatever Korra was going through, Asami hoped Korra knew she always had her support, that she was always there for Korra when she needed her. They remained hand in hand until they settled into their seats.

Asami noticed the way Korra fidgeted in her seat as they sat down, absentmindedly playing with the hem of her shirt, jumping when the people seemingly pop up out of nowhere. _She's really on edge._

Just then, another scream erupted from the passengers as they got into their seats, causing Asami to jump and clutch her bag once again. It was Korra's turn to look at the other worriedly. Asami shook her head and gave her a small smile. Korra placed hand on top of Asami's and squeezed it comfortingly.

 _Maybe we're both really messed up,_  she thought.

In their own ways, probably, but Korra seemed to understand Asami was going through her own personal things without having her explain. It was a breath of fresh air for Asami, having someone just be there for her with no questions asked.

Asami closed her eyes and focused on the hand that encircled hers and tried to draw strength from the warmth that radiated from it as she took in deep breaths. Oddly enough, it worked. Slowly, she started calm down and eventually released the death grip she had on her bag just as the restraints lowered from above their heads.

The supervisors started the last minute routine they go through to ensure the passengers' safety. _Come on, Asami. Pull it together! You live for this shit!_ She prepped herself up until she started to feel the excitement felt before a ride.

Asami was grinning by the time the ride managers were all set. She gave out a loud whoop when the train lurched forward. Much to Asami's amusement, other passengers followed her steps and gave similar shouts. _Nothing could ruin this day for me,_ she thought as she pushed all bad thoughts into the backseat of her mind. Soon enough, she was giggling in anticipation for the ride as the cars tilted upwards.

Asami swung her feet as the ride escalated to it's peak. This was a hanging rollercoaster, so that meant their feet would be hundreds of feet off the ground, which made the ride even more exhilarating to Asami. She could barely contain her excitement as she took in the view from both sides of their car. If Asami tried hard enough, she bet she could spot Naga from here. 

The peak came closer each passing second and soon enough, it was within ten feet from them.

Asami gave out an excited shout, "Here we go!" she said as she reached over and grabbed Korra's hand.

She expected Korra to squeeze her hand back, or pull away in mock disgust, _anything._ Asami was shocked to her core when she felt Korra's hand _twitching_ spasmodically _._

Asami tried to look over at Korra, but was proven to be futile due to restraint blocking her eyes.  _"Korra?" she_  tried shouting over the wind. Asami wasn't sure if Korra heard her due to the lack of response from the other girl. Asami started to panic.

She grabbed Korra's hand, still twitching but held the restraint in an unbreakable grip, as she tried looking over at Korra again. This time, Asami got a better angle and was able to see Korra's chest heaving at an unbelievable rate and her body was writhing under the restraint. Her eyes searched frantically for nothing in particular as the train reached it's peak.

For a split second, just before the train tipped over, all Asami could hear was Korra's struggled breaths and muffled cries. That split second dragged on to an eternity for Asami. She never felt so useless. She couldn't do anything to help Korra and that terrified her.

In that eternity, all Asami wanted to do was protect this girl from whatever was hurting her, but all she could do was stare helplessly at her, because what else can she do?

That eternity ended as Asami blinked, gravity did its job and soon the ground was coming in fast. She couldn't focus on the ride because she was terrified for Korra, who only seemed to get worse by the second.

Ironically, Asami did the thing that only brought more terror in her, but it was the only thing she could do,

She screamed.

\--------------------------------------

Korra squeezed her eyes shut as the restraints lowered; the pressure on her chest making it even harder to breathe.

 _I should've listened to Opal_ , she thought as a supervisor checked her restraint.

She never would've gotten through this ride without remembering the accident. She thought she could, but she realizes now that this hit a bit too close to home.

Korra tried to keep the memories locked up, but the anticipation made her fail miserably, and she braced herself for the onslaught coming as her memories invaded her mind.

\----------------------------------

Korra heard Asami excitedly say, "Here we go!"

_"Here we go!" Grandpa Aang said as Korra started the car And entered the road._

The roller coaster started to move forward, escalating slowly when it reached the incline.

_"Slow and steady Korra, just get used to how the car feels." Aang smiled toothily, despite him already missing some of his teeth due to his age,_

The coaster was rising steadily, without a change in speed. Korra could feel gravity pulling her back the higher they went.

_"Good job, Korra! Just maintain that speed." Grandpa Aang said as he unbuckled the seatbelt that was chafing his neck._

As they neared the peak of the incline, Korra started to struggle with her breathing, starting to feel the fear and pain. She did not want to relive this. She didn't mean to do it. She never wanted that to happen.

_Her foot hovered over the pedal as temptation poked her conscience. She could go faster if she wanted to. It's been a month since her last shot, she needed to feel the rush again._

There was no movement for a split second as they reached the peak before the roller coaster plummeted downwards at a blinding speed.

_Korra stopped hesitating and stomped on the gas pedal, her back hitting the seat at the sudden burst of speed. It kind of hurt, but the pain only heightened the sensation, making her want more._

She could hear the other passengers screaming as they fell. They banked left and right, the motion fueling the rush she missed so much.

_Korra barely heard Aang as he screamed, "Korra slow down!" But she was focused on the speed and nothing else. She was relentless, only wanted to go faster. The adrenaline was back, and it felt delicious coursing through her veins, pushing her to speed up even more._

They entered a tunnel, making them clueless as to what was coming, the mystery making it more exciting. Her body was shaking in anticipation, but she was shaking her head as well because she shouldn't enjoy this so much. Not after what she did to Grandpa Aang. 

_Korra was so intent in making the vehicle go faster that she failed to notice the stop light. Aang was screaming for her to stop but she didn't listen, not when she finally reached her high. No way in hell was she stopping anytime soon._

They emerged from the tunnel and Korra took the time to look at the loop ahead of them before her body jerked in the sudden change of direction.

_Maybe it was instinct, but something made Korra look at her grandfather's side of the car. Korra had just enough time to stare at a truck's headlights speeding towards them before-_

They reached the peak of the loop where you get a split second of weightlessness. Korra couldn't care less in her state of panic. She just wanted the memories to stop.

_Time slowed for Korra somehow. She could see the fractures of the windshield before it broke, shards raining down on her. Her body lifted off the seat as the car went airborne. It almost felt like she was flying._

Right after the loop ended, the train made a sharp turn, causing Korra to hit her head against the restraint. The pain caused a surge of adrenaline. Korra had to dig her nails into her palms to keep from losing herself in the rush. _  
_

_Korra felt an arm encircle her head, pulling her away from the door and into a body. Korra squeezed her eyes shut and held on tight to the body as the car toppled over and over and over._

And soon enough, the roller coaster had slowed down. The ride was coming to its end. Korra closed her eyes while rocking her head back and forth. _Please make it stop._

 _Korra still refused to open her eyes even when the car stopped moving. She didn't even dare to breathe. She didn't realize until she released the death grip she had on Grandpa Aang that he was suddenly limp in her arms_.

Korra opened her eyes slowly as the restraints lifted automatically. She barely registered Asami hovering nearby, wiping something from Korra's face. Only then did she realize there were tear tracks on her cheeks. She stared at Asami, but not really looking at her as she repeated to herself;  _I don't deserve to live._

_Korra made herself open her eyes, not for her, but concern for him. She was lying across his lap, his body resting on top of her, his arm still circled around her protectively. She realizes that if Grandpa hadn't braced her with his body, she wouldn't have survived this. She made herself look up at him, "Grandpa?" she said just before she felt a drop of warm liquid land on her forehead._

Fresh tears covered the tracks of the old ones just as she noticed Opal putting her arms underneath Korra and picking her up. She didn't put up a fight this time. 

Korra didn't realize she was shaking and fighting for air until a few seconds later. Korra closed her eyes. She thought she could handle it. She was so sure before. 

Opal settled down on the floor beside the roller coaster. She was cradling Korra, murmuring nothings in her ear, holding her tight like if she let go, Korra would fall apart.

Maybe she would, Korra wouldn't care. She honestly didn't want to live this life anymore, not after what she did to Grandpa Aang, all because she wasn't strong enough. _I don't deserve to live._

Korra continued to cry quietly, hands shaking as they fumbled with the hem of her shirt. She felt a hand grab her own and hold on tightly. She turned and found Asami kneeling in front of her. Korra was about to pull away, she didn't want Asami to see her like this - though she figured it was too late for that - but then stopped herself when she saw the look on Asami's face.

Korra had her fair share of looks from people who witness her episodes. Some were pitiful, some condescending, some even disgusted. The look on Asami's face was so different that Korra stopped crying for a second and tried to decipher the expression.

It caught her off guard, because no one has ever looked at her like they understood _completely_ , eyes willing her to see that she wasn't the only one dealing with grief.

But most importantly was the one plainly written on Asami's face; she believed Korra was brave, courageous and strong, that she could get past this and live her life again.

It was amazing, really. Words and touches from anyone else couldn't help her with her episodes, yet one look from this girl in front of her calmed her down and had her thinking clearly again.

Without a word, Korra tugged on the hand on hers. Asami seemed to understand, moving closer to Korra. Opal seemed to take a hint as well, leaving to make space for Asami.

Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's shoulders and buried her face in her neck. "Thank you."

Asami tightened her arms around Korra, "It's okay to hurt, Korra. You have learn to accept what happened and don't it stop you from living."

Korra wonders how she deserves people like Asami, people who will support you no matter how many times you break. 

Korra held on to Asami like she was her lifeline, and maybe she was.

Then Korra cried; cried for herself, cried because she had no self worth, cried because of her addiction, but most importantly, cried for Grandpa Aang.

She remained in Asami's arms, crying until there were no more tears left, all the while whispering,

"Please forgive me."

\-----------------------------

Asami stood outside the comfort rooms with Mako, Bolin and Kuvira by her side. None of them said a word to each other since they got here; everyone was too busy staring worriedly at the doors in front of them. 

Opal was inside with Korra, helping her freshen up. Apparently it helped Korra pull herself together somehow. 

In all honesty, Asami was stunned. She never expected something like this to happen today. Or any day, when it comes to Korra.

Korra, who seemed like the most carefree person in the world. Korra, who didn't shed a single tear when they watched The Notebook. Korra, who was the happiest person Asami knew.

Asami realized now all of that might've been the walls Korra built up.

She had no idea what was going on.

Something told Asami that this wasn't the first time this ever happened. The other's may be worried, but they weren't shocked out of their wits like Asami was. Which meant they knew something, something that Asami wanted out of them. 

Asami cleared her throat, making everyone blink away the glaze that formed in their eyes. "Anyone mind telling me what's going on?"

The trio stared at each other wide-eyed, expecting one of them to say something. No one said anything for a minute, making Asami raise an eyebrow at them.

Mako cleared his throat awkwardly, "Uh, well, you see, it's kinda hard to explain-" he looked to his friends for guidance, much to Kuvira's annoyance. 

Kuvira stepped away from the barrier she was leaning on and stood in front of Asami with her arms crossed. She looked Asami from head to toe, as if sizing her up, which made Asami straighten up. She didn't like this person's gaze on her. 

The action made Kuvira smirk and back off a bit, just a bit. "Why do you care, sweetheart?"

Asami grimaced at the overly sweet tone of Kuvira's voice. "Because Korra's my friend, is there a problem with that?"

Kuvira's eyes narrowed at Asami's threat, "Actually, there is." she said as she closed in on Asami, leaving mere inches between their faces.

"You remember your place, nerd. Get on my bad side and I can make your life in Republic High a misery. I'm at the top of the food chain. And you," she punctuated by stabbing a finger at Asami's chest, "Are so low you practically don't exist."

Asami cringed at her words, and immediately backed down. It wasn't so much about Kuvira's attitude but by how true what she said was. Asami was nothing in Republic High. She was that shy quiet girl who easily blended into the background. It was a wonder she was even here with them. Kuvira was right, she forgot her place.

Mako immediately stepped in and placed a hand on Kuvira's shoulder, maybe in an attempt to get her to back off, "Okay, calm down Kuv." he said before turning around to touch Asami's arm comfortingly, "Don't take her seriously. She didn't mean that."

"Is there a problem here?" They all turned to see Korra standing by the doorway with Opal. Korra scanned over the trio suspiciously before her eyes seemed to focus on the hand touching Asami's arm.

Asami jumped away almost guiltily, _But that was weird, she had nothing to be guilty for._

But the way Korra glared at Mako like she wanted to kill him to the way she stared at Asami, possessive to a point it was almost territorial proved her otherwise. Asami would be lying if she said she wasn't a little bit giddy at the thought. There was a chance that Korra liked her back?

The intensity of Korra's gaze on her caused the blood that wasn't on her cheeks rushed down between her legs. She looked like she wanted to have Asami all to herself, to mark Asami as hers, and she couldn't deny that sounded sexy.

She could feel Mako's eyes on them, flickering back and forth. Asami was about to address Mako but stopped when Korra gave her a heart-stopping smile that seemingly came out of nowhere. And that was the smile that every girl in Republic High dreamed Korra would give them. Korra wasn't only popular for her basketball skills, just one look at her and you could tell what her other "talents" were. Asami stood there dumbly, too starstruck to move.

Asami shook her head, _Pull it together, Sato,_ and gave her a smile in return, when she heard Mako murmur beside her, "I wonder," he said before she felt an arm snake around her shoulders. Asami looked at Mako confusedly but found him not looking at her, but at Korra. While Kuvira's eyes switched back and forth between Korra and Mako, Korra's smile melted into a frown as she glared at him. Mako made a soft sound of confirmation as he returned Korra's glare with a blank stare.

_What the hell was going on?_

\-----------------------------------------------------

They had one ride left to go to. They usually saved these kinds of rides for last to give them a chance to wind down and relax before heading home. Today's chill ride for them was the cable cars that gave a full panoramic view of the park. Korra was actually looking forward to this one. She definitely needed to relax.

Korra would keep casting glances over shoulder at Mako and Asami. The two were at it again, all love bird-y. Korra had to admit, they made a good looking couple. It would be nice seeing them together, at least that's what Korra told herself.

 _Just a few minutes ago you were ready to rip Mako's head off,_ another part of her stated. Korra massaged her temples. She's been having a lot of mental debates recently, come to think of it, most of them were about Asami, more than Korra would like to admit. _Wow_ , she was definitely looking forward to the relaxation.

At least until they found out one car only accommodated four passengers. No one wanted to ride with strangers, so they decided two of them would sit this one out. Like the bunch of selfish and stubborn dorks they were, no one volunteered.

Korra wanted to go on this ride, so she remained relentless, at least until she was hit by a wave of dizziness. She almost tipped over, thankfully, Bolin was there to catch her.

Eventually, after 15 minutes of arguing, they got to convince Korra to stay (it took a lot of guilt tripping from Opal, how Korra could've rode with them if she only listened to Opal earlier, much to Korra's annoyance) with a promise to buy her a hotdog later. 

Asami volunteered to stay behind, but _of course_ not without a fight from Kuvira. Korra just stopped her from going any further, calmer than she ever was when talking to Kuvira. She deserved an award for that. Korra was just tired and she didn't feel like dealing with Kuvira's shit at the moment. Kuvira looked lost after that, as if she expected more of a fight. Korra would be amused on a regular day, but this wasn't a regular day, was it?

They soon parted ways after that, with Asami and Korra wandering around the park! no particular destination in mind.

Only then did Korra realize she was alone with Asami and _wow_ , she had _a lot_ of explaining to do. 

 _Shit_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got kinda emotional writing Korra's flashback TBH
> 
> Any guesses as to what's wrong with them?
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter!
> 
> The next chapter's going to (finally) reveal their pasts. 
> 
> Guys, I hate prolonging this story, trust me. I'm so sorry it's taking a while. But I'm trying.
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Thanks to Director550 for being my beta :)


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra and Asami share their pasts (AKA the last theme park chapter - FINALLY)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, we've FINALLY reached the end of the body of the story! Things officially get interesting from here on out.
> 
> TBH I personally don't like writing the body of a story, it takes too much time! But we've come a long way and now were here!
> 
> After this chapter, we'll finally be climbing up to the climax.
> 
> For this chapter tho, I'm gonna leave a warning - detailed descriptions of death and depression. I don't want you guys to jump headfirst into this one expecting rainbows and sunshine, because no. This is actually the opposite. 
> 
> Okay enough blah and more moving on to the story (which got really long)
> 
> I hope you like it!

Korra and Asami each ate their turkey legs in silence as they walked around the park. Neither of them said a word to each other since they parted with the others.

The silence reminded Korra all too well of the silence that followed the crash. There were different sounds around her, her quiet sobs, what sounded like a gas leak and sirens approaching. But in Korra's mind, there was one thing that was nearly deafening to her ears; it was the silence where Grandpa Aang's heart beat was supposed to be.

Korra believed - no, she _knew_ \- that it was her fault. If she were strong enough that time - if she had any idea of self control - then maybe she wouldn't be here now. Maybe she would be in her living room, watching basketball games with Grandpa Aang like they used to.

Korra squeezed her eyes shut, there was no point in thinking of the _what could've been_. She has to focus on the now, where it mattered.

Asami suddenly spoke up, "So what happened back there?"

Korra turned to look at Asami, pulling herself from her inner thoughts, to find her looking back at her worriedly before she continued, "You don't have to tell me of course."

Korra wanted to tell Asami everything, but in all honesty, she didn't know how to start. How do you talk about something from your past that brings you pain just _thinking_ about it?

Korra sighed, "I don't know how,", still undecided whether she wanted to deal with the pain that will come along with the conversation.

Asami seemed to notice her hesitation so she stopped walking and turned Korra around to look her straight in the eye and said, "You're not the only one experiencing grief and regret you know?"

Korra recoiled. Maybe it was habit, but she closed up and started to deny it, "Who said I was-", she started, but the raised eyebrow showed Korra that there was no fooling her.

With a sigh, Korra relented, "It's just really hard talking about it." she said as she continued walking down the path. Asami followed, but remained in silence, eyebrows drawn and face scrunched up like she were having a mental debate with herself.

Korra was watching a young boy eagerly pull his sister along, probably to line up for a ride when Asami finally spoke up, "Would you want to know about the screams?"

Korra's eyebrows shot up. She hadn't expected that to pop up. She's been meaning to ask about it, but seemed too rude to bring it up.

"I know you've noticed." Asami said as she searched Korra's eyes for confirmation - she couldn't bring herself to deny it - and continued,

"I just want to show you how much I trust you, and how much I want you to trust me back." Asami's head was bowed, so Korra couldn't see the emotions dancing across her features, but from what Korra could tell, she sounded both hopeful and uncertain at the same time. She was clearly deep in thought, so Korra didn't say a word, afraid to say something that might offend her somehow.

Asami took Korra's silence as a yes, and with a final glance in Korra's eyes and a sigh, she started,

"It happened when I was seven; My father just landed a huge deal with the company; he kept on promising me and my mother that they were gonna live the good life now and they could get anything they wanted."

"My mother would just laugh it off, she's always been modest and only took what she needed. I, on the other hand, was ecstatic. We moved into the mansion later on, but we weren't settled in yet. The house was barely furnished, no decorations, no security system whatsoever, but to me it was amazing all the same. I thought I was the luckiest kid in the world, living the life, not having a care in the world, and I had the two most amazing parents."

Asami paused, watching a little girl giggling as she rode on her father's shoulders.

"I was so proud of the life I had; because what else do you expect from a seven year old girl? I thought everyone wanted to be me and I wanted to share what I had to the world. Maybe that's why I let that man in, that man who all of a sudden shows up at my doorstep, asking if he could take a look around my home. I agreed because I thought, who wouldn't want to see the biggest house in the world?"

Asami closed her eyes as she repeatedly hit herself lightly on the head, muttering _stupid stupid stupid_ to herself. Korra reached out and entwined their hands in a comforting gesture. With an appreciative sigh, Asami pushed on,

"While we roamed the halls, he asked me if my father was home. I told him he was at work and sadly he wouldn't be able to see him. He said that was too bad, he were really looking forward to meeting him. He looked so disappointed that I just _had_ to cheer him up. I told him my mother was home and he can meet her instead. I wanted to show off my mother because I thought she was the prettiest mom that has ever existed."

Asami paused to give a light laugh, but it was all wrong. It was bitter and sad, not amused and happy like it was supposed to be. Korra scrunched up her eyebrows, wondering where this was going, but remained silent as a sign of respect. 

"I led him to my parent's bedroom, where my mother was working in bed, and when we got there-"

Asami choked on her words. Korra snapped, dumped their turkey legs before grabbing Asami's other hand and leading her to a nearby bench with barely any people passing by. Asami took a moment to regain her composure while Korra rubbed her thumbs across the other's knuckles in what she hoped was a reassuring gesture before she released one hand, but held on to the other. After a while, Asami tried again,

"When we got there, my mom looked up from her paperwork and told me to come to her immediately. I laughed it off, thinking she was being silly, when there was a nice guest with them and she shouldn't be rude and just ignore him. I was about to tell her so before I heard a click behind me and felt something press on my temple."

Asami shrugged, as if what she said next didn't matter, "I only realized till later that I was being held at gunpoint." 

Korra cursed quietly, tightening her grip on the other's hand, but she didn't think Asami noticed considering how she stared blankly ahead as she continued,

"My mother begged them to let me go and she'd do anything in return. The way she sounded made me realize the danger I was in, so I started to cry. I felt a hand shove my shoulder and instinct made me rush to my mother. She held me tight, looking me in the eye and told me to remain strong."

"Her eyes looked so sad and tired, like she carried the weight of the world on her shoulders. I felt terrified because I have _never_ seen that look on her face and it made me fear for what was to come."

Asami lifted her hand off her lap to touch the locket resting on her collarbone absentmindedly.

"Everything was a blur after that." Asami said flatly, "My mother led me to the closet, telling me to stay there and not come out under any circumstances. I agreed, but I didn't want to let go of my mother because something told me that things weren't going to be the same after that day."

Asami pursed her lips, as if the action could stop her from continuing, but she squeezed her eyes shut and gathered all her will power to let it all out,

"All the this time the man still had the gun trained on my mother's back, I knew I couldn't test the man's patience, so I obeyed."

"I could hear the man talking, but it was weird because my mother wasn't replying, but that didn't last long. I heard a muffled scream and a loud thud, then there was nothing."

Korra could see tears pooling up in her eyes from behind the frame of her glasses, but she struggled not to let them fall. Korra found that brave, so she squeezed her hand, trying to convey that message. With a squeeze back and a shaky breath, Asami continued,

"I know I swore, but curiosity got the best of me and I slipped through the crack through the door."

"God, I wish I hadn't."

It didn't take long for her will to break. Asami took off her glasses to angrily wipe the tears that could no longer be held back. She tilted her head up in an attempt to stop more from escaping her eyes.

Seeing Asami like this broke Korra, gaining the sudden urge to protect her from anything that could hurt her. And right now she was hurting herself.

"I wish I just listened to my mother and stayed put. If I had, maybe I wouldn't be so fucking messed up right now." more tears fell from Asami's eyes, this time she made no effort to stop them. It was useless.

Korra threw all caution out the window and pulled Asami to her chest. Asami didn't object, leaning on Korra for support. Korra wrapped her arms securely around her, wanting to provide some sort of solidarity. She could feel the gentle shake of her shoulders as Asami sobbed against her chest.

Korra rubbed along Asami's back comfortingly, "You don't have to continue, Asami. I understand.

Asami leaned back to look into Korra's eyes determinedly, "No one knows the whole story. I never told anyone; not my therapist, not even my father. But something about you makes me want to trust you, even if we haven't known each other long."

Her voice was quiet but she sounded so sure of herself, making Korra swell with pride and love for this girl. Her green eyes shone with tears and despite the situation, Korra couldn't help but think that she's never seen anything more beautiful.

Korra loosened her hold on Asami to give her space to breathe, but kept an arm around her shoulders to show her support. With an encouraging nod, she gestured for Asami to continue, which Asami looked grateful for,

"When I came out, all I saw was my mother on the floor and nothing else mattered, only that I had to get to her. It didn't register in my head that the man was gone, only leaving a camera in his wake. It didn't register to me as I dropped next to my mother that we were surrounded in a puddle of blood. Maybe I _refused_  to register the look on my mother's face, devoid of any emotion but her last moment's pain."

"I cradled her to me, not noticing the blood starting to soak my clothes, not noticing my father barging into the room and hugging us both as he cried. People came into the room, and some of them carried my mom away. I made sure I stayed by my mother's side, I'm not sure why, but I just had to. Maybe if I stayed, she'll wake up for me and everything will go back to normal. I tried, I really tried. I fought anyone who would try to detach me from my mother's side as she was being carried to an ambulance. I tried to pull away when I felt my father's hands on me, when I felt his arms wrap around me, telling me everything was going to be okay."

"Only then did reality dawn on me and I stopped struggling, growing limp in his arms and letting him hold me as he silently sobbed. I started to feel the emptiness consume me and I all could feel inside me was the cold the man left behind when he slit my mother's throat in front of the camera."

Asami's voice cracked at the end, which didn't go unnoticed by Korra as she held her tighter to her side. Asami buried her face into Korra's shoulder as she took in a shuddering breath, and when she spoke, her voice was strained but controlled, 

"I don't think there will ever come a time that I won't dream of that night. I don't know what I did so wrong that I deserve to have it replayed in my dreams every single time I close my eyes. Sometimes, it was the look on my mother's face, her eyes telling me to remain strong. Sometimes it was the muffled screams that sounded piercing in my ears. But more often than not, it was the almost abysmal eyes that used to be filled with so much love that haunted me."

"But you know what was worse than the dreams itself? Waking up from it. Every time my eyes snap open from the nightmare, all I want is to be held. And waking up knowing that the one person you want to hold you is gone?"

She sobbed into Korra's shoulder, "I just feel so alone,"

Asami shook her head, pursing her lips and squeezing her eyes shut as she finally broke down and hugged Korra around the waist.

Korra practically pulled Asami unto her lap, holding her as tight as she could. She let Asami cry, not giving a damn about her surroundings, because all that mattered was the girl she wanted to protect. 

Korra pulled back slightly and cupped the other girl's face in her hands, making her look directly into her eyes, "Asami. Listen to me. You are _not_ alone. You have people who love you." 

She paused to wipe the tears that fell from those beautiful green eyes, "You have _me_."

Asami looked up and stared into Korra's eyes in awe and - dare she say it - hope. 

Korra released her cheek with one hand to push a stray hair behind Asami's ear, "As long as you'll have me, I will _never_ let you feel alone. Never again."

Asami looked into Korra's eyes, thinking how this was too good to be true, before letting out a choked laugh and breaking into a smile as tears filled her eyes once again, but this time, it was tears of joy. 

She threw her arms around Korra and buried her face into her neck, sobbing as she murmured _thank you's_ and held on as tight as she could _._

Korra squeezed her eyes shut as she held on to Asami with equal intensity. They held on to each other like they couldn't breathe and the other was the air they needed to live. 

Korra would keep her promise. She would go through heaven and hell just to make sure Asami never felt alone again. 

Because gods be damned if Korra ever lets that coldness eat away the Asami she knew, the Asami she _loved_ , she wouldn't know how to live with herself. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Korra drove home in silence that night. The sunset passed a long time ago, or at least what felt like a long time ago, Korra can't say for sure. She tore her eyes off the road to glance at the only other soul in the car.

For a split second, Korra expected to see oversized clothes, long curling raven locks pulled back into a strict ponytail, hipster glasses that framed the most beautiful eyes - eyes whose color Korra could never name the right shade of green - eyes that would visibly light up whenever those lips curled into a smile.

Korra expected to see these things when she glanced to her side. Because those things belonged to the only person Korra would rather be with right now. But all she got were form fitting clothes, dark shapely eyebrows and a glare that could kill.

As the group was heading back to the parking lot, neither Korra nor Asami made an effort to move away from each other. Their shoulders would bump, their hands would brush the other. Neither seemed to mind, nor did they care about what the others thought. It was like they were in their own little bubble, where the only thing that mattered was the two of them.

So you can imagine Korra's surprise when Asami suddenly pulled away to enter Mako's car. If Korra were being completely honest, that stung a little. But she understood the need for space, so she entered her own car, not saying a word once Kuvira stepped into her passenger side.

Korra expected Kuvira to give her hell on the ride home, but much to her imminent surprise, Kuvira stayed silent and only gazed outside her window. She looked deep in thought.

Korra thought back to her conversation with Asami. She didn't know whether to feel admiration, awe, pride, or guilt.

Asami told Korra about the one thing she kept closest to her heart, emotions she kept hidden within herself, so securely locked away that not even her father knows. But for some reason, she broke down those walls for _her._ Asami said she hoped that Korra trusted her as much as she trusted Korra. But little did she know that Korra trusted her from the start.

But she was afraid. She was afraid to relive that night. She was afraid to admit her vulnerability, her defeat. But most of all, Korra was afraid of what Asami would think of her. She wouldn't know what to do if Asami never spoke to her again, repulsed by Korra's weakness.

Korra cringed as she imagined Asami backing away from her, face contorting in disgust when she finds out about Korra's past. As much as that would hurt, Korra wouldn't blame her for feeling that way. Even Korra was disgusted with herself.

But regardless, Korra owed Asami the truth. 

Asami proved her trust and it was time for Korra to give her the same courtesy.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asami wrapped a towel around herself as she exited her shower. She felt human again, washing away all the grime and dust that accumulated on her skin that day.

Grabbing another towel, Asami stepped in front of the mirror as she toweled her hair dry. She glanced at her reflection, not expecting to see anything different but her eyes froze upon noticing that there was something different.

It would be barely noticeable to someone else, but Asami spent enough time in front of the mirror and spotted it right away.

Every night she would wake up from that same nightmare, she would rush to her bathroom and force herself to look into the mirror. She would stare into her eyes, imagining it was her mother looking back at her. It was routine; it got her to take deep breaths and eventually calm down. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get rid of the shadows that always hooded her eyes after dreaming. Even during the day, when she'd cast glances at her reflection, that same shadow loomed over her.

Asami stepped closer, her face mere inches away from its reflection, staring intently into her emeralds. 

She couldn't believe it, the shadows were gone. She blinked several times, expecting it to appear once again. But it didn't.

Asami stepped back, mouth slightly agape, astonished. Something was nagging in the back of her head, making her remember a certain memory. She was brought back to one of the sessions she had with her therapist.

_Asami slumped in her chair, heels of her hands digging into her eyes as she struggled not to cry before looking up to glare at her therapist, "You don't think I want to move on? You think I enjoy the pain and the loneliness knowing my mother would never come back? Because trust me, I want this fucking over with." she nearly screamed at the woman in frustration._

_Asami faltered and she let her face drop back into her hands, whispering, "I just don't know how."_

_She could feel the woman's sympathetic gaze on her and she forced down the bile that climbed up her throat. She didn't need this woman's pity. She needed her mommy back._

_She felt a hand rest on her shoulder and she struggled not to shrug the hand off, "You just have to let go, Asami. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that."_

All she had to do is let go.

And she finally did.

All she needed was the right person.

\------------------------------------------------------------------------

Asami slipped into her covers with a sigh of relief. This is so far the most relaxed she can remember feeling over the past years. It sounds like an exaggeration, but it was true. She feels as if the world has been lifted off her shoulders and she can finally relax. 

But worry still gnaws at her even at her current state of peace. She's still worrying about Korra and how she acted earlier. _Tomorrow, I'll ask her about it before the game,_ Asami swore to herself.

But no matter how hard she tried, Asami couldn't bring herself to sleep. With a sigh, she grabbed her glasses and determinedly strode over to her balcony door, where their rooms connected. Asami opened the doors only to stop herself from colliding with a body in front of her. 

Asami stepped back into her room, only now registering Korra standing before her, fist raised as if she were about to knock. 

Korra immediately retracted her hand and placed on the back of her neck. Her mouth opened and closed, wanting to say something but can't, her eyes flicking around nervously as if questioning her decision to come here.

Without a word, Asami stepped aside to grant Korra access to her room. After only a moment's worth of hesitation, Korra stepped inside. 

Korra spoke up as Asami was flipping the lock of the balcony doors, "Did I disturb you?"

Asami turned to find Korra taking note of the tossed bed sheets and shook her head, completely forgetting Korra couldn't see her, so she said, "No, I was actually headed to your room."

Korra's body visibly tensed, and Asami could tell Korra was still hesitant in regards to talking about earlier today. 

Asami gently took Korra's hand into her own and led her towards the bed. She sat back against the headboard with her legs crossed. She patted beside her, inviting Korra, who stood beside her bed, unsure of what to do. 

Asami waited patiently, allowing Korra to do whatever she wants in her own time. After a while, Korra eventually sat down beside Asami, shoulders brushing.

Asami took hold of the hand nearest her own, rubbing her thumb across her knuckles, mimicking the action Korra used earlier. Korra breathed out a sigh as she closed eyes.

Despite the fact Korra couldn't see her, Asami offered her a gentle smile as she whispered, "Take your time."

Korra opened her eyes to look into Asami's. Asami noticed her normally bright blue eyes were now darker, reminding Asami of her own eyes after a nightmare.

Korra bit her lip as she searched Asami's eyes with what looked like - fear. That confused Asami, but she didn't let it show as she squeezed Korra's hand in reassurance.

With a sigh, Korra released her stare and looked down at their joined hands as she started,

"As a kid, I've always adored basketball. I would always watch games with my Grandpa, who loved it as much as I did. At that time, it didn't matter which teams were playing or who won, all that mattered to me was the game itself. It didn't surprise anyone when I said one day that I wanted to play myself. My mother supported me, but she would ask if I was sure, asking if I wanted to play violin instead. Grandpa Aang would just laugh, saying _let the kid do what she wants. As long as she's happy_."

Korra wore a small smile the whole time she spoke, but Asami noticed a hint of sadness to it, as if it was a good memory but it hurt to think about it. Asami couldn't help but wonder how this was related to what happened earlier, but she remained silent. 

"It didn't take long for me to start. Soon enough I was the best in the clinic. The coach offered to let me join the small team he put together before the next game and I couldn't refuse. I wanted to show my family how good I've become."

"I saw them cheering on the bleachers, holding the biggest sign, screaming for me. And when I saw my Grandpa - probably hurting himself as he cheered but he didn't seem to care - I pushed myself harder because I wanted to make him proud."

The smile on Korra's face grew slightly and looked less like a grimace. Her eyes softened at the thought of her family.

"And we won. My team carried me on their shoulders when I was announced the game's MVP. My body felt flushed, but I figured it was from all the excitement so I ignored it."

"I ran over to my family and hugged them as tight as I could. Grandpa Aang hugged me the tightest and his chest practically puffed up in pride and I felt amazing."

Korra's smile faltered and the happiness on her face was replaced with a somber expression, 

"Everyone, my family, my team, even strangers were congratulating me from all sides when I suddenly couldn't breathe, as if something was constricting me. I doubled over, clutching my stomach as I tried to inhale but I couldn't. I felt hands on me but I pushed them off. The contact felt too hot, like fire dancing across my skin. I could vaguely make out people shouting around me but I didn't pay attention to any of them. I couldn't even if I tried."

Korra's hand was limp in Asami's, her voice was devoid of any emotion and she stared at nothing. More worry was starting to gnaw at Asami.

"I didn't realize I was on the ground until someone was holding me and plunged a needle in my arm. And suddenly I could breathe again and my skin no longer felt like it was burning."

Asami stared at the spot Korra's eyes were on, as if she would find an answer there.

"I was rushed to the hospital. They ran some tests on me and it turns out," she shrugged, as if it didn't really concern her, "I have a rare disorder called EIA."

Asami racked her brain, she's heard of this before in class. _Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis_.

 _Shit_. 

"My parents forced me to stop playing. I would always argue, because all I've ever wanted to do was play. It was futile, and every single time I would storm off to my room once realizing their decision was final, Grandpa would always step up and defend me. We both knew the reaction could be controlled by epinephrine shots. I could play if they would just allow it."

"Eventually, we reached a compromise. I could only play at most once a week and I'd have to take an epinephrine shot if I have an attack."

"I exerted myself a lot, so I had to take the epinephrine shots more often than not."

Korra's expression suddenly turned hard and she dug her nails into her palm, 

"The shots made me feel incredible, like I could do _anything_. The way it felt coursing through my veins, pumping me with energy, it made me feel powerful. Not like what I was then. I was weak. So like a moth to a fucking flame, I was hooked."

Korra closed her eyes as she banged her head against the headboard. All Asami could do was hold on to her hand. She never felt so useless. 

"I got addicted."

"My body grew accustomed to the constant presence of the adrenaline. I would find myself not being able to work, play or do anything really. The only thing that got me going was the rush caused by those shots."

"My family started to take notice. They figured it out soon enough and they took away the shots. I begged for them to give them back, but the begging only seemed to prove them right. I was pissed. I isolated myself from them. I ignored them all, including Grandpa Aang."

Korra paused, pursing her lips to keep them from trembling. She drew in a shaky breath before she continued,

"About a month passed and I still wouldn't forgive them. Deep inside, I knew they were only doing this to protect me, but I was too caught up in my addiction. Besides, I thought it was too late to make amends with my family."

"One day, I heard a knock at my door. Grandpa peeked inside, asking me if I wanted to learn how to drive. I knew this was his way of getting me to lower my walls. All I did was ignore him for almost a month, and yet there he was, trying to help me get back on track with everyone else."

"It was then I realized I was being so goddamn selfish, but my pride forced me to ignore the open arms calling to me as I passed him, walking straight out the door. I didn't miss the look of hurt that flashed across his face, but I was so fucking full of myself and I even had the audacity to feel smug about it."

A few tears escaped from those shadowed eyes and Asami pulled Korra to her. She laid her head on Asami's lap, facing away from her as Asami started to comb Korra's hair with her fingers. Korra closed her eyes at the touch as she continued,

"All I could think about as I drove was how I wanted him to yell at me so I could yell at him back, but all he gave was light conversation and pained smiles when he was ignored. He was too good to be mad. He was too good for me. All he wanted was to help me and I just kept hurting him in the process."

Asami could feel her pajamas getting soaked as more tears fell from Korra's eyes. Korra still didn't want to make eye contact, so Asami used her free hand to stroke her back.

"I thought I was in total control. I kept ignoring Grandpa as I drove, despite how hard he kept trying to break me out of my shell."

"Then I started to feel the gnawing inside of me, telling me to step on the pedal, telling me to let go and be free."

"My body was screaming for me to allow that rush again, to let it course through my veins, to finally sate that craving I've had for so long. But my mind and my heart begging for me not to succumb to that, not when I've been clean for a month, not when I finally have a chance to start over with my family."

"I tried to shove the addiction down, I really did. But it was too much. I _needed_ to feel that rush again."

Korra finally looked up at Asami and met her eyes. Asami's heart ached seeing the broken expression on the other girl's face, 

"I was so weak Asami. I couldn't control myself. It was like I wasn't me anymore. Someone else was stepping on that pedal, completely ignoring that stop light. But I was there the whole time, watching something take control of me. I could've stopped it if I wanted to, but I didn't. I was selfish."

"I knew Grandpa Aang was screaming - begging - for me to stop but I didn't care. It's like I turned off my humanity and all that mattered was the rush I was getting at that moment."

"But some cosmic being out there thought it was funny for me to be self conscious again just to get a glimpse of headlights coming straight toward us."

Korra buried her face into Asami's stomach, as if she could somehow stop the next memory from reliving itself. Asami just held her closer.

"At first I didn't know what was happening, all I knew is that it felt like I was flying. I could see everything around me as if it was in slow motion; glass flying as the windows broke, my body lifting off my seat, Grandpa's arm pulling me to him."

Sobs racked Korra's lungs as she spoke, tears freely falling from the corner of her eyes. 

"Even in his last fucking moments, he was protecting me Asami. He was protecting me like I _deserved_ to be protected. I will never deserve it. I feel like I shouldn't be the one here right now, because he was the one who deserved to live. He was good, he was kind, he was-"

Korra finally broke down, curling up around herself as she fisted Asami's shirt in her hands as she cried. Asami pulled Korra to her and cradled her in her arms, shielding her body with her own, as if she could somehow block the pain Korra was feeling right now. She rocked Korra, gently caressing her hair, murmuring nothings into her ear, until the sobs subsided. 

Asami held her tight as she spoke softly but firmly, "You are _not_ weak. If anything, you're not strongest, bravest person I know. The fact that you're still here now only further proves that."

Asami pulled back slightly, trying to capture Korra's eyes, which were still fixed on her shirt, avoiding eye contact.

" _Please_ don't ever think that you don't deserve to live. Your Grandpa made sure with his last breath that you _lived_. Because he thought you _deserved_ another chance in life. Don't throw what he fought for away."

Asami rubbed her thumbs across Korra's cheeks, getting rid of the tears that fell. Korra stared into Asami's eyes - but she couldn't understand the emotion hidden beneath it.

Korra met her eyes again before looking down, "I was so afraid that you'd pull away from me Asami. What I did, what I _am_ is despicable. Someone else suffered for my mistakes when it should be me. I can't even forgive myself Asami. Why should you?"

They studied at each other for a while, not one saying a word, both staring at the other in disbelief.

Asami placed her hands on either side of Korra's face, making her look directly into her eyes.

"I haven't known you that long but I can already say for sure; _you are an amazing person, Korra_. Everyone who knows you can attest to that. I don't know what you see, but I see a person who loves everyone she knows dearly, despite the wrong they've done, a person who will always be there for you no matter what. If that isn't reason enough, I love you for _you_ Korra, the wonderful person with me in this very room. I accept you with all your perfections and flaws, because that's what makes you _you_. I don't think I'll ever be ungrateful for having a chance to know you."

Both were stunned by what she said, but the words _I love you_  stuck in the space between the two of them, the tension so thick Asami could taste it. She couldn't believe she actually said that.

Korra suddenly spoke up, but hesitantly, "Is it alright if I sleep here tonight? I don't want to be alone."

Asami's heart filled with warmth and love for this girl and she found herself nodding, still stroking the other girl's hair, "Of course."

They didn't adjust much, both too tired to make any other unnecessary movements. Asami leaned back, falling directly into her pillow and sighed in exhaustion. She felt a shift in the bed and suddenly she felt warmth going along her side.

Asami opened her eyes to find Korra staring back with hesitation and fear, as if Asami might reject her. But Asami just wrapped her arms around Korra, pulling her to her body. 

Korra tensed at first but soon she relaxed into Asami's side, molding into her as she lay her head on Asami's chest.

They lay comfortably like that, not one saying a word, not wanting to disturb the little bubble of peace they've created between them.

Just before Asami slipped into unconsciousness, she thought she heard a whisper. She couldn't says for sure, but her heart raced when she thought she heard,

"I love you, too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know it's kinda later than my original posting time but I still posted right? Haha
> 
> I was emotionally exhausted once I finished writing this, off to read fluff and maybe finish that new fic I've been working on (watch out for that!)
> 
> Just so you know, Korra's condition here is extremely exaggerated and I don't mean to cause anyone any offense. 
> 
> Korra has EIA (Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis) which is sort of like a deadly version of allergies. In this story, I used epinephrine shots (adrenaline) as her cure and she eventually got addicted. 
> 
> Once again, this is a fic. I'm sorry if it's too exaggerated.
> 
> Ask questions if you have some in the comments!
> 
> Tell me what you guys think of this chapter!
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are always appreciated.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sort of a filler chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So not much happens here (except for the last part)
> 
> But there's a lot of build up - tension, emotions etc. 
> 
> Basically to set up the next chapter. Because that one would be hella fun to write. :)
> 
> So I'm not that confident about this one, probably some typos or grammatical errors in there. But I'll go through it later on and I'll edit it. 
> 
> Just wanted to have it out for you guys. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Asami opened her eyes slowly, squinting against the small ray of sunlight peeking from behind the curtains. She had woken up earlier than usual, so she'd have a lot of time to prepare for school today.

Asami shifted on the bed, uncomfortable until she realized her arm had gone numb. Still not fully awake, she tried to stretch it but something was inhibiting the movement. She tried to get up but that _something_ was practically on top of her.

She looked down to check what was crushing her - a big lump underneath the blanket - when she nearly jumped off the bed when what felt like an arm wrap around her waist.

 _Shit, what happened last night?_ No matter how much she racked her brain, Asami never really functioned well when she just woke up. _I didn't sleep with anyone, did I?_ she thought as she started to panic a bit.

Gathering all the courage she can muster, Asami squeezed her eyes shut as she took in a deep breath before slowly lifting the blanket.

She opened her eyes and her jaw practically dropped to the floor,

_Oh, shit._

Underneath the blanket was Korra, sleeping against her with her head resting on Asami's chest and her whole body draped on top of the other's with their legs intertwined. If that wasn't enough to freak Asami out, Korra was clad in nothing except for a sports bra and shorts.

_Please tell me I'm dreaming. This has to be a dream right?_

Korra stirred in her sleep, causing Asami to jump and panic, throwing the covers off them completely.

Korra shot up, woken by the sudden movement and coldness. "Wha-"

She looked around, taking in her surroundings and smiled when she found Asami as if she were remembering last night's events fondly - okay, that didn't really help with Asami's overactive imagination. Asami sat up and rested her back on the headboard to add some space between them. Bits and pieces were coming back to Asami. They were talking last night. Just talking. Okay.

"Good morning, sunshine." Korra said through that smile she couldn't seem to get rid of. It faltered though when she took in the way Asami's obvious discomfort and anxiety as she fumbled with her glasses, "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost." Korra inquired as she crawled over to Asami, sitting back on her heels and placing her hands on her knees.

 _How about a goddess?_ Asami mused as her eyes _not so_ discreetly roamed Korra's body.

Okay but can you blame her for looking? The rolling hills and valleys of Korra's arms, the ripples of her six-pack on an otherwise impossibly smooth stomach, those _damned_ shoulders Asami just wanted to run her hands on, those smirking eyes that were clearly amused by her staring-

_Wait, what?_

Asami stopped ogling - when the fuck did Asami start doing that? - and focused on those eyes.

Korra was still smirking when she raised an eyebrow, "May I help you with something or should I just sit here and let you enjoy the view?" she said teasingly.

"Shut up," she she ripped her eyes off Korra and tried to find something less interesting focus on, and that happened to be Korra's shirt lying on the floor.

 _Dammit_.

It gave her an idea though. "Why the hell is your shirt on the floor?" Asami asked, searching for _anything_ to distract her from the spectacle before her.

Korra looked down at the shirt on the floor, "Oh yeah. Well, I get really hot at night-"

 _Oh not only at night_ , Asami couldn't help but add some mental commentary. _Pull it together Asami_.

"- and I just have to take off some layers." Korra finished with a shrug. Then Asami could almost see a literal light bulb light up over Korra's head as she suddenly smirked, "Is that a problem?"

Asami blushed a deep red, "Wh-what? What are you talking about?" she sputtered as she nervously adjusted her glasses.

Korra slowly crawled closer, placing her hands on the headboard above Asami's head, looming over her. Asami had to look away from those eyes but the when she did, her gaze landed on rippling muscles instead. _Fuck_.

Korra had a teasing smirk on her face when she whispered next to Asami's ear, "Am I making you uncomfortable?"

The way Korra said it, making it sound so _sensual_ made Asami's breath hitch. Korra obviously noticed, considering how her smirk grew into a grin, as if she just won. But Asami wasn't having any of it.

Faster than you could say _In your face, Korra,_ Asami had flipped the situation. Literally.

She - gently - shoved Korra by the shoulders, making her fall back on the bed when Asami climbed on top of her. Asami was now the one hovering above Korra with her hands pinned down above her head.

Asami raised an eyebrow as she smirked down at her, "I don't know. Am I making _you_ uncomfortable?"

Korra pouted playfully before giving up the act and grinning up at her, "Nicely played, Sato."

Asami never really believed in superstition, but she swore to god, someone must _really_ hate her.

Because one of the most awkward things that a teenager could go through just happened: Your father walking in on you and someone else in bed. Literally and figuratively.

At least that's what probably looked like to Hiroshi as he entered through the door.

The trio each took turns at staring at each other with wide eyes and gaping mouths for what felt like forever - though it was probably just a few seconds.

Asami couldn't imagine what her father thought of this situation; a stranger pinned down in bed under his shy and gentle _daughter_ , the said stranger nearly naked while in a provocative position - _with his daughter._ But she had a few ideas about what he was thinking yeah.

After a few moments, the girls seemed to unfreeze and realize what they looked like before promptly jumping to the opposite ends of the bed. There was still that _godawful_ silence before someone spoke up. Of all people, it was Hiroshi.

"Would you want to have breakfast with us today?" Hiroshi managed to say despite his sputtering.

"Uh, no sir. I have to head out soon for the game today. But thank you for the offer," Asami didn't know whether to feel relieved or disappointed.

Hiroshi just nodded before moving to leave the room. Just before the door closed, he called out, "Please lock the door next time, Sami," before leaving the two alone.

Korra burst into loud laughter while Asami hid behind her hands. Korra moved to - finally - put her shirt on. Okay now Asami was sure how she felt about that. Really fucking disappointed, that's what.

She grabbed her shirt off the floor before grabbing Asami's wrists and pulling them from her face, "Relax, it's not like we were doing anything, right?"

Asami's heart twisted in her chest, _Though I wish we were_ , "Yeah, but that's not what he thinks."

Korra slipped on her shirt before laying back down on the bed, "So much for leaving a good impression," she said with a laugh.

Asami was too busy thinking about the statement implying that there would be more times she would come here that she almost forgot to reply, "What are you talking about? How about what he thinks of _me_ now?"

Korra snorted, "You'll be fine, your dad was relatively okay with us having supposed sex," she said, causing Asami to blush.

Korra propped her head on her hand as she turned to face Asami, "I wish my dad will be as cool about it."

Asami raised an eyebrow at the other girl, " _Will_ be?"

Korra leaned forward on her elbows with a scrutinizing look on her face, "Asami Sato, have you been assuming things about me?"

Asami shifted on the bed but remained silent. Korra considered her lack of response as confirmation. She sat up at the far end of the bed before giving Asami a strained smile.

"What? You think I can't keep it in my pants?" she tried to sound joking, but Asami hear the hurt in her voice ad Asami immediately regretted asking.

Asami crawled over to the other girl and took her hands, "No, that was rude. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have assumed. I just thought, well-" she sighed, thinking of a proper way to respond, "Kuvira seems really possessive of you and well I couldn't help but think something already happened between you two."

Korra gave her a small smile before squeezing her hands, "It's alright. I don't blame you for assuming, and you're right, Kuvira is really possessive, but not because of that."

Korra shrugged before looking down at their joined hands, "She acts like that because I keep refusing to have sex with her and she gets paranoid when other people are around me. Potential competition, she believes."

Korra looked at Asami through her lashes as she said this, but Asami did not miss loaded look.

"I just really want my first time to be special, with someone I really love."

Korra played with Asami's fingers before she continued, "I keep telling her it's too soon. She thinks that I don't want her anymore and I would replace her with someone else. So she lashes out."

Asami couldn't help but ask, "Why are you still putting up with her?"

Korra sighed, "She wasn't always like this, you know? She was this really sweet, smart girl who I really cared about. But she just changed. She lost someone close to her and she was never the same."

Korra looked away with a distant look in her eyes, "I guess I'm just hopeful, thinking that the Kuvira I knew before would come back,"

Korra looked back at Asami and there was sadness clearly written on her face, "But I'm starting to think that person isn't coming back, not anytime soon, and I'm starting to give up."

There were tears starting to form in the corner of Korra's eyes and Asami couldn't help but feel the urge to comfort her.

Asami opened her arms and Korra willingly settled between them with her back pressed to Asami's chest.

Asami stroked her arm comfortingly while they were lost in their own thoughts. After a while, Asami spoke up softly, "You keep worrying about other people and that makes you an amazing person," Asami said as she recalled the words _I love you_ that slipped through her own lips last night.

"Just do what you think is right, what you think will make _you_ happy." she said and Korra nodded slightly as she remained quiet.

In the silence, Asami remembered something else from last night. She couldn't be sure, since she was on the brink of falling asleep, not sure if she were dreaming or not.

She remembered her heart racing, much like how her heart was beating out of her chest just at the thought of the possibility of those words actually being spoken.

The distinct words, _I love you, too._

_\------------------------------------------------------_

" _Please, Asami? I really need someone to teach me what we learned that day. I barely got any sleep the night before._ "

"How come?" Asami adjusted the phone on her ear.

" _Oh, me, Mako and Korra were in school that night and we were sneaking around for-_ " the phone had gone quiet once Bolin cut himself off.

Silence. And it clicked it Asami's head.

"C'mon, Bolin. Just tell me what you guys did and I promise I'll teach you."

_"Nope, you're not getting anything outta me. We swore never to mention it ever again."_

"No one else has to know right?"

They've been going at it for 15 minutes now. Asami called Bolin, suddenly remembering how awkward he was during the car ride on the way to the theme park. As if he was hiding something from her. And by the threatening in Korra's part, Asami knew she was right.

Korra left earlier for her pre-game practice and the other girl had one goal in mind for the mean time. Asami was never fond of secrets; keeping them or being kept from them. She _will_ discover them.

 _"You are aware that I live with a detective-to-be right? He'll find out eventually."_ the other line cackled when Bolin grabbed what sounded like a bag of potato chips.

"Only because you're so bad at lying," Asami said, recalling the car ride and the way he fumbled around his words. The thought made Asami smile.

_"Hey, it was one time! Besides, it'll take hours before I can upload it from the SD card."_

Asami smirked, _Jackpot_ , "Oh, so it's a video huh?"

Silence once again.

Then a very distinct string of curse words followed. Who knew Bolin could curse like a sailor?

"You ain't gonna last Bo, just give it up."

_"It's not your ass on the line here! And what's stopping me from hanging up on you?"_

Asami had reached her destination and stood in front of a door, "Nothing. But how about you open the front door first? It's getting chilly out here."

There was a sound of something hitting the floor before the door opened before her, revealing a shocked looking Bolin, "How-"

Asami lifted the hand that was holding her second phone, "Mako."

"Who the hell in our age has two phones?!"

Asami smiled cheekily, "I do." she said before slipping past a stupefied Bolin and into the small apartment.

She was in the living room when she saw Mako lounging on the couch, "Hey Asami. Why'd you want to come over?"

"You guys are gonna show me this video everyone's being so secretive about." she said defiantly with a cross of her arms.

The brothers looked at each other before Mako gave a shrug, "I think she won't stop until she sees it."

Bolin gave an exasperated sigh, "Fine," he breathed out, finally relenting,

"But if Korra finds out, I'm blaming you." he said before leaving the room, never cutting off eye contact with his brother.

Once he was out of earshot, Mako gestured for Asami to sit with him, which she did. She felt oddly calm with Mako, comfortable, even if she'd just met the guy yesterday.

"So," Mako breathed out, "Did you talk to Korra?"

Asami gave him a small nod, "Yeah, last night. She told me about her Grandpa Aang. I had no idea it was that bad."

Mako sighed, "None of us did really. But what's important is that we're there for her when she needs us. And now that she's told you, the same responsibility applies to you."

Asami wanted to tell him that even if Korra hadn't told her, Asami would still take care of Korra. But she didn't. You don't just admit you'd go through hell and back for someone you don't have any feelings for, let alone someone you just met a few weeks ago. So she just nodded.

She was saved from delving deeper into the topic when Bolin sauntered into the room, SD card and it's reader in hand. "From what Korra knows, we deleted this. Little did she know, we deleted the _copy_. And here we have the original." Bolin said as he smiled devilishly.

"Just get on with it, Bo." Mako said, emphasizing his words by throwing a pillow at Bolin.

Bolin swatted it aside, "Rude." but he played it anyways.

They all settled on the couch when the TV right in front of them started to play the video.

At first, it was just blackness with the occasional light that flashes across the screen. Quiet footsteps and hushed conversation was heard in the background.

The first whisper came from what sounded like Mako, " _Guys, we should turn around now while we still have a chance. We could get in serious trouble for this_."

Then the darkness in the screen transformed into Korra, who was under what seemed like a flashlight coming from Bolin, " _Well, stalking someone at night wasn't exactly part of my bucket list, but apparently it's part of this one's._ "

Even under the pale light, Asami could detect the slight blush on Korra's face, " _We're not stalking,_ " she said defensively, " _And besides, what could possibly go wrong?_ "

Bolin ignored her and proceeded to rummage through the pack he brought.

Mako - who seemed to be the one behind the camera - on the other hand, spoke up, " _I'm pretty sure you were supposed to say that sarcastically._ "

" _Shut up, Mako._ " Korra said as she let her flashlight roam her surroundings, which Asami immediately recognized. It was the school halls. _What the hell were they doing there at night?_ She looked at the brothers beside her on the couch and how they remained silent.

Korra's voice from the video was echoing in the quiet living room, " _Why the hell are you even recording this?_ " she asked as she peeked from behind a wall to check for people lurking around.

Bolin suddenly appeared on the screen, this time behind a ski mask with eye holes, he seemed to notice the others staring, " _What? It's a precautionary measure._ " he brushed them off,

" _And we're recording this because this is the first time you've taken so much interest for a girl._ " he said cheerily, poking her side teasingly.

" _Shut up or I'll fucking kill you_." Korra threatened, and none of them - not even Asami - missed the way she quickened her pace.

Soon they reached what seemed to be their destination. Asami noted the familiar window and the flickering light the band has been saving up money to repair. _The band room?_ Korra and Bolin lifted themselves up the window and Mako settled the camera to record what they were seeing.

On the screen, Asami saw herself. She saw herself playing her clarinet, focused entirely on what she was doing. Her entire body showed her full dedication and commitment; each intake of breath calculated, her foot tapping lightly to stay in tempo. Her glasses were on the tip of her nose, nearly falling off but she couldn't be shaken from her concentration.

The speakers were silent except for Bolin's whisper, " _Wow, she's really good._ " and Mako grunted his agreement. But Korra stayed quiet.

The camera shifted to face Korra, who's face was perfectly illuminated by the light coming from the window; making it impossible for the viewers to miss the look on her face.

It was plainly written on her face. It was easy to read, but Asami could hardly believe it, because it was on _Korra's_ face. If she wasn't seeing things, Asami could _almost_ think that look held admiration and well, _longing_.

Mako paused the video, the video freezing on Korra. Asami could feel the brothers' expectant gazes on her but all Asami could do was stare at the screen, at those eyes.

It was there. Right in front of her. Frozen for everyone to see and interpret. It wasn't hard. And that scared Asami.

It was too easy. Too good to be true. She should be happy but she only got a gnawing fear in her heart. Because it was too good to be true and she couldn't shake the feeling it could disappear in an instant.

\------------------------------------------------------

Korra had grown used to routine over the years.

After the incident, she taught herself to stick to things she was used to. Especially in stressful times, she thought it was best to play it safe and stay in routine. It calmed her down.

Korra would go through breathing exercises in the locker room alone. It helped her center herself.

Then she'd pull Coach Tenzin aside just to talk to him. He provided her solidarity during pre-game stress.

Then she'd go through her plans with her team with the supportive nod from Opal. It assured her of her team and their ability to work together.

And when the crowd cheers when she enters the court - her mere presence can do this, everyone knew of her abilities - she'd drown them out and focus on staying calm.

When it came to basketball, Korra was a girl of routine.

But today, there was a distinct cheer in the crowd, and Korra couldn't seem to drown it out.

The thing is, she didn't even have to try to find the voice. It's like her eyes were being magnetically pulled to another; beautiful, emerald eyes that sparkled even from all the way across the court. Not even a thousand passing people could stop their eyes from connecting.

Korra expected to feel anxious; she failed to drown the cheers out. But somehow, she felt calmer now. Not even after a hundred breathing exercises could make her this calm. A brief glimpse of the right shade of green eyes did that for her.

Korra sent a small smile towards that person, she didn't care if she was too far, she knew it would be seen by the other.

With new found confidence, Korra joined her team.

"Let's do this,"

\------------------------------------------------------

Asami shot up from the her seat with the band screaming. The crowd was roaring around them, fists pumping and banners flying as the buzzer signaled the end of the game.

They had won and Korra was voted MVP.

Asami's heart swelled with pride.

The team tackled Korra and lifted her unto their shoulders. Even from where Asami was standing, she could see Korra was trying to maintain her breath and stay calm, but she obviously couldn't stop the grin from appearing on her face.

Their eyes connected over the heads of the crowd and Asami sent her a dorky thumbs up and a grin. Korra threw her a wink just as a body collided with Asami's, cutting off their silent communication.

"You were amazing, Asami!" Bolin exclaimed before Mako pushed him aside to hug her as well.

Asami laughed before entering Mako's arms, "I think you should be telling Korra that, I only play an instrument."

Mako held her by the shoulders, "Don't be ridiculous. _You were amazing_. You represent the school as much as the team does."

Asami smiled her thanks before turning to look for Korra again. The said girl was still on her team's shoulders, but she was looking somewhere else with a slight frown. _Huh, wonder what she saw._

Bolin was jumping in place, "C'mon! Korra and Opal are waiting!"

With a laugh, Asami and Mako followed behind Bolin, who was practically paving a path through the crowd with his eagerness.

Asami saw Opal first and called her over. Opal rain into her with a hug that almost toppled them over, but thankfully they regained their balance.

"You did great out there, Opal!" Asami said happily. The crowd's excitement was getting to her.

"Thanks! You did too! Now if you excuse me, I have to claim my post-winning kisses from my boyfriend." Opal said with a wink before flitting away to find her boyfriend.

Asami turned around to find Korra nearby, standing around 5 feet away. She was smiling and nodding, humbly thanking the people around her for their praises. Asami just stood there, admiring the girl in front of her because how can such a person exist?

Korra's eyes found hers again and - with some hesitation - smiled at her. For some reason, she looked so unsure of herself.

Asami waggled her eyebrows with a teasing smile. Despite the noise around them, Asami said, "What's wrong? Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Korra shook her head before her smile turned into a full grin. She gave a running start and Asami froze in place, uncertain of where to go.

Asami squealed when Korra picked her up by the hips, hoisted her over her shoulder and spun her around. Asami was laughing so hard, there were tears in her eyes.

"Put me down!" Asami squealed but Korra was relentless. She slapped Korra's ass in hopes for the other to release her.

Korra looked indignantly at Asami, "You didn't,"

Asami raised her chin defiantly, "I did."

"You'll regret doing that," Korra threatened and Asami was indeed - not really - terrified.

"You asked me if you made me uncomfortable," Korra stated as she grabbed the sides of her band uniform, pulling her close, before securing her hands on Asami's lower back to keep her there.

Korra stepped even closer, their bodies now flush. Asami stopped breathing, afraid to even stir the air between them. Korra smiled devilishly, clearly teasing, "I don't know, am I making _you_ uncomfortable?" she inquired, obviously reenacting this morning.

Asami smirked despite being so flustered, "Only because you stink,"

Korra laughed, and _wow_ Korra's eyes looked even better up close, "You break my heart, 'Sami,"

Asami was delighted with the nickname, but really confused about the situation. They've been in each other's arms for far too long to still be considered platonic. Asami was just about to pull away - not that she wanted to - when it was done for her. Painfully.

" _Get away from her, you bitch!_ " Kuvira screeched, shoving Asami away from Korra. The action caused Asami to trip and fall on the floor.

"Kuvira what the fuck?!" Korra shouted, trying to make the other face her but Kuvira's glare was fixed on Asami.

Hands were immediately on Asami and she saw Opal and Bolin in her peripheral vision. She didn't look away from Kuvira because she didn't want to appear weak. This only seemed to irk Kuvira even more.

"You think you can just steal her away from me?! News flash, you easy _fuck_. She's _mine_ if you haven't noticed yet. That wouldn't be so surprising would it? Considering how you're just a stupid mistake your whore of a mother ma-"

Then the only sound that could be heard was a sharp crack that resonated around the court. Only then did she realize the whole court has gone silent. Asami was too shocked to care, not only for what Kuvira said, but also because Korra had just backhanded Kuvira.

Kuvira touched her lip and stared at the blood that coated her finger. No one made a move, no one released a breath, because everyone was afraid. But Asami just felt numb inside.

Korra stormed up to Kuvira, standing menacingly to stare angrily into her eyes and gripping the other's arm tightly.

"We need to talk." Korra said through her teeth before moving towards the locker rooms.

The crowd parted to let them pass. Not even the authorities - not even Tenzin - made any efforts to stop them. Maybe everyone just saw this coming.

And all they could do was stare after them.

\------------------------------------------------------

Korra closed her bedroom door behind her before slumping against it. The game had worn her out, thankfully she didn't have any attacks, but she was exhausted, but she was more emotionally weighed down than anything else.

Suddenly, Korra felt like she couldn't breathe, but she knew it wasn't because of her condition. She let herself slip to the floor, back against the door as she stared blankly ahead, focusing on her breathing.

_I am so tired Kuvira. So, fucking, tired. Aren't you?_

The mere memory of tears running down the face of the girl she once loved made her own tears fall.

_Please Korra. I can change-_

Korra angrily swiped the tears away that escaped her eyes. Why did she have to feel so horrible?

_But don't you see? That was the problem the whole time. You changed._

Korra let out a silent sob as she dug her nails into her skin. She knew exactly why she felt horrible. When Kuvira's mask crumbled and only raw sadness was left on her face, Korra saw the girl she loved in that exact moment.

_The old Kuvira wouldn't call someone's mother a whore, she wouldn't call someone a mistake. I want the old Kuvira back._

Korra squeezed her eyes shut, more tears falling as Kuvira's face flashed through her mind. The way she looked - hurt and vulnerable - almost made Korra take back everything she said, beg for her forgiveness, and not even consider saying what she said next.

_I can see now that the Kuvira I loved isn't coming back. So what's the point of staying?_

Korra bit her lip to stop herself from screaming. She wanted to scream, so bad that she drew blood from biting her lips too hard. It reminded her of the blood on Kuvira. Blood that _she_ drew.

Korra couldn't stand the guilt of hurting her - both physically and emotionally. No matter how much Kuvira hurt her, Korra knew in her heart that no one ever deserves to be treated the way Korra treated her. But now that the damage has been done, will Kuvira ever forgive her?

If Korra were being really honest with herself, she knew she couldn't take those words back. Those words would always be there, tainting them, a stain that could never be removed.

She glanced at the phone on her table. It would be quick, easy to contact her, try to make amends, _anything_ to relieve Korra of the guilt she was feeling.

Korra was actually considering the possibility, when a knock came from her balcony door.

It cracked open just a bit, enough to reveal the person behind it. It was Asami, who was hiding behind the frame as if she were afraid to come inside.

The room was silent so Asami's whisper carried out easily, "Do you want to be alone right now?"

Korra shook her head quickly, nearly giving herself whiplash. The last thing she wanted right now was to be alone. She climbed unto the bed before Asami walked towards her.

They stared into each other's eyes for what felt like hours, as if their eyes held all the answers they were looking for.

So when Korra spoke up, Asami didn't look surprised, "I broke up with her." Korra stated flatly, like she was just asked what date it was.

Her voice betrayed no emotion but Asami knew Korra was hurting more than she let on, so she walked up to the bed and settled beside Korra with open arms.

Korra nestled herself into Asami's chest as if they've been doing it for years. Asami played with the hair on the back of Korra's neck, "I'm not gonna tell you things like it's going to be okay or it's going to get better, because no one likes hearing those."

Asami lifted Korra's chin to look her straight in the eye, "But I am going to tell you to let go. Let go of all the hurt you're feeling, the anger, the guilt, the regret. You don't have to hold it in, you don't have to stay strong. Because everyone needs to be vulnerable once in a while."

Korra nodded slightly before settling back into Asami's chest. Asami stared at the ceiling, "Don't ever worry about being alone Korra. You're never alone as long as I'm here."

Those were the words Korra told Asami in the theme park. And that's all it took for Korra to break. Because it hit straight home.

Korra was scared of being left alone. She was scared of the idea of abandonment. She thought she was abandoned by her parents during her addiction. She was abandoned by Grandpa Aang when he died. And now she did what she feared the most, she abandoned a person she once loved.

So Korra did the only thing she could do. She cried. She cried for Grandpa Aang, she cried because she felt abandoned and she cried because she made someone else feel the same way.

But mostly she cried for the chance that the tears would wash away the pain she felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because even Korra has to feel that post break up shit. 
> 
> So. Tell me what you think!
> 
> Korra's obvious feelings showing in the video?Asami's falling harder for Korra? Kuvira's nasty comment? How about that break up?
> 
> Okay but was the last scene foreshadowing something in the future. CRYPTIC MESSAGES ARE A PAIN IN THE ASS. 
> 
> As always, kudos, comments, and bookmarks are greatly appreciated!
> 
> \-----------------
> 
> Edit:  
> All right. So two readers pointed something out in this chapter and I am extremely grateful. So here I am elaborating and answering those questions.
> 
> They said that it was mentioned in earlier chapters that Kuvira and Korra had sex when I said in this chapter they didn't. It's just a matter of miscommunication.
> 
> It just depends on what you understood really. It doesn't matter what they did in the earlier chapters; either they almost did it but Korra pushed away, or they only did oral sex or something else. It's open to interpretation. 
> 
> But if you ask me what I think, I suppose I based it on my beliefs. To me, there's a difference between having sex and making love. Korra and Kuvira may have had sex, yes. But they never made love. And that's what Korra meant in this chapter. 
> 
> Korra wants to make love with someone she really cares about, and she never really felt up to it with Kuvira. 
> 
> I don't really find this detail that important but apparently some of you did and I'm sorry for not making it any clearer. Hope this helps!


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And finally the (sorta) Rated M chapter arrives

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're almost done with the story!
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me guys! This story got way too long, longer than I originally planned it to be, but I guess it's good enough for a first fic right?
> 
> Anyways, just a heads up, this chapter is the longest so far. Not too confident about this even tho I wrote it for a solid week. It stressed me out. 
> 
> But I hope you like it!
> 
> Side note: I accept all comments after you read this chapter :>

"Wake up bitches!"

The voice invaded Asami's dreams and jolted her from sleep, gaining enough consciousness to brace herself as she promptly fell off the bed. 

Asami winced at the sudden pain that shot up her arms. Korra's wooden floors weren't exactly the softest landing spots. Sitting up and putting on her glasses, Asami peered over the edge of the bed to see a grinning Opal staring down at her with - for some unknown reason - a horn in hand. 

Korra was still asleep, looking very much like an adorable little burrito in her blanket. 

But that didn't last long. 

Opal nodded to herself - seeming satisfied she woke at least one of them - and settled her eyes contemplatively on Korra. The horn in question suddenly made much more sense when Opal blared it right next to Korra's ear without hesitation, as if she's done this too many times to even think about it twice. 

"Jesus!" Korra shot up, woken by the sudden noise, and tangled herself up in the burrito blanket, causing her to fall off the bed as well. Korra wasn't as fortunate as Asami though, judging by the loud crash that was immediately followed by a string of curses.

Asami burst out laughing because the whole thing looked so comical. Korra's head peeked over the side of the bed, lower than Asami considering their height, but it was enough for Asami to see the daggers being sent by Korra's glare. Asami bit her lip in attempt to stop laughing, a weak one at that.

Korra prodded her head and winced when she felt a bump starting form on her head, "What is it with people and not knowing how to knock?" she grumbled to herself.

Opal placed a hand on her hip, "Well maybe if you didn't sleep like a rock, people wouldn't have to barge into your room."

Korra shifted her glare over at Opal as she settled herself on the bed and motioning Asami to do the same, "There better be a good reason for this Opal, if not I suggest you start thinking of what to put in your will." 

Opal rolled her eyes and waved off the threat, "Good morning to you too, my dearest friend who should really question her sanity," she sniffled, "Speaking of questionable sanity, should I ignore the fact that you and Asami over there were sleeping on the same bed after what happened yesterday?"

Korra visibly flinched, subconsciously curling in on herself at the mere mention of yesterday's events. It snapped Asami out of her silence, immediately took hold of Korra's hand and squeezed it reassuringly, "Yes, yes you should," Asami said through gritted teeth and a pointed look sent to the Beifong.

Opal cringed, realizing she brought up a sore subject and was instantly at Korra's side, "Shit. Fuck. I'm an idiot. Korra, I didn't mean-"

If Korra hadn't interrupted her, Asami was pretty sure Opal would hover around Korra because she felt guilty, "Opal. It's fine." Korra said gently.

Opal still looked doubtful, so Korra placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, "Really. I just need to take my mind off it." she dropped her hand and instantly held Asami's.

Opal was eyeing their intertwined hands, but seemingly decided to let it go, "Well I have the perfect thing for you to focus on Korra. It's all you'll be able to think about today because for the next few hours, you'll be preparing for the party tonight, _which you were supposed to do last week_."

The more Opal spoke, the more Korra's face fell. She smacked her forehead, "Shit, it's my turn to host?!"

Opal nodded somberly, as if she were geniunely despaired Korra's demise, "Yup," popping her lips at the end of the word before sitting down beside Korra.

"But," Opal was admiring her nails now, "Because I am such an _amazing_ friend," She waggled her eyebrows, which Korra rolled her eyes at, "I'm gonna help you prepare and also got Bolin to join the team! You may thank me now." she said in a superior tone as she held out her hand as if to be kissed. 

Which was totally useless because Korra grabbed Opal's face and planted a sloppy kiss on her cheek, making the Beifong shriek, "Opal, you are the fucking best!"

"I know, darling. I know." Opal said as she grabbed Korra's sleeve and wiped her cheek on it with a shudder. Korra seemed to enjoy the reaction.

Asami finally spoke up, "Okay, I've been trying to connect the dots for the past five minutes but I am still beyond confused as to what is happening."

"Sorry," Korra smiled apologetically, "Well, every time the team wins a game, we host a party to celebrate the win. Each game, a different person hosts it. It was my turn this game but I completely forgot about it. And now Opal's here to help me prepare for tonight."

 _Oh_ , Asami tucked a strand of hair behind her ear to somehow hide the twinge of disappointment she felt realizing she wouldn't be able to hang out with Korra today, "That makes so much sense now, thank you." she pursed her lips in an attempt to cut off the frown forming in her face.

Korra was staring at her, watching her every reaction and Asami never felt so exposed. 

Korra continued to study her, her face unreadable, "You'll come tonight right? Be my plus one?"

Asami's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She had never been invited to a party, especially a party among the popular people. Even under the prospect of hanging out with Korra, Asami was terrified of being with people she never talked to, even worse, the people who bullied her in school. Ever since she started hanging out with Korra, she barely got picked on, maybe an occasional whisper and a glance, but it was an accepted change. But to overstep and enter their territory? That was a another question.

Asami adjusted her glasses, a nervous habit of hers, "I don't know,"

Korra visibly sagged, but Opal did the exact opposite, shooting up to her feet and settling beside Asami, "Oh come on Asami, don't be a killjoy,"

Asami sighed, "It's not that,"

Korra took her hand in her own again, "Then what is it?"

Asami shrugged as she looked down, "It's just not my crowd,"

Opal's eyebrows furrowed, confused, "What do you mean? You've been hanging out with us,"

Asami shook her head, "I'm comfortable around you guys, but I'm willing to bet the people who make my life much harder than it should be will be there."

Korra squeezed her hand, "We'll make sure they won't bother you, I swear," she said, looking at Opal.

Opal nodded eagerly, "Yeah! Me, Korra, Bolin, and Mako." Opal paused, "Come to think of it, we don't need to watch you since Mako would follow you like a puppy anyway," Opal teased, poking a finger into Asami's side, which Asami playfully swatted away.

Asami felt the warmth around her hand suddenly disappear and when she looked at Korra, the girl had a smile plastered on her face, "So you'll come?"

Asami sighed as she ran a hand through her hair, "I guess so,"

Opal squealed as she clapped her hands together, "It's settled! Now for the catch, you have to help us prepare as well."

Asami rolled her eyes, "Of course there's a catch,"

"Anything to get what I want, honey," Opal winked which Asami laughed at.

Opal stood up and brushed down her skirt, "I'll be back in 2 hours with Bolin and you two better be ready by then or you're gonna get a smackin," she warned, eyes never leaving the two until she was past the door. _I guess Bolin had to get it from somewhere,_ Asami thought, remembering the stocky boy do something similar.

"Is she always this commanding?" Asami asked when she was sure Opal was out of earshot, "I mean, she's waltzing around your home like she owns it."

Korra laughed, "Well you haven't met Party Opal until now. She gets a bit loony when it comes to anything social," 

Suddenly, a voice interrupted their conversation, seemingly coming from outside Korra's window, "Well that's because you're hopeless when it comes to anything social!"

Asami didn't know whether to feel impressed or terrified of Opal right now, "How did she-"

Opal wasn't finished, "And speaking of hopeless, you might want to consider brushing your teeth before doing any smooching with Asami, Korra! Your morning breath's nasty!"

Korra turned into a bright red and she stomped over to the window. Once it was open, Korra stuck out her hand and gave her the finger, "Go fuck yourself, Opal!"

Laughter echoed from both inside and outside the room as Korra stormed over to the bathroom.

She brushed her teeth for a good 20 minutes. Asami should know, she timed it.

\------------------------------------------------------

"Why exactly do we need 8 packs of ping pong balls?" Asami asked, eyeing the cart skeptically.

"Because, my grasshopper," Korra's head was no where to be seen, it being inside the cart as she took inventory of what they were able to get so far, "You'll be surprised how many vanish into thin air around a bunch of tipsy teenagers,"

Bolin agreed around a mouthful of chips, "I am living proof of that. Hey Opal, how many did I lose last time?" he asked before reaching in the bag and stuffing his mouth.

Opal grabbed 5 stacks of red solo cups from the shelves, "Sixteen," she said, returning to the cart and depositing the cups, "And besides, it's unsanitary to reuse a ball once it bounced all over the floor,"

"Who permitted you to speak, traitor?" Korra demanded, popping her head out of the cart and glaring at the green eyed girl, who just rolled her eyes.

"You can't just forbid someone to talk Korra!" Opal exclaimed, crossing her arms, "And besides, I was saving Asami here from her untimely death, because I for one would not want to die via your breath,"

Korra looked affronted, placing hand on her chest and mouthing _How dare you_ ,

"You insolent, treacherous fool!" Korra exclaimed, turning to Bolin, "Off with her head!"

Bolin placed a large hand on Opal's head, much to Opal's incredulity, "You're just gonna let this happen?" she demanded, swatting away her boyfriend's hand.

Bolin shrugged nonchalantly, his mouth still working as he chewed, "Korra's an unstoppable force of nature," he said matter-of-factly, "You'd be stupid to try and get in her way," 

Opal looked like she wanted to argue but seemed to change her mind at the last second, eyeing Asami beside Korra, "Alright alright, I'll go. Meet you guys at the counter!" she smiled innocently before placing her boyfriend's hand back on her head. 

Korra went back to searching through the cart while the couple slowly walked away, with Opal walking backwards, still smiling innocently and doing finger guns at Asami.

Opal was still doing vague hand gestures - this time she was forming scissors with both hands and making the middles meet repeatedly - while Asami just stared as she tried to understand what Opal was doing before the girl disappeared from the aisle completely.

Asami was still confused when Korra's head popped back out, missing the entire... whatever that was, "Come on, I just need to grab one more thing before we can go," she said, pushing the cart and matching pace with Asami.

Silence fell over them as they walked down the grocery aisles. Asami found it comfortable, growing used to the other's presence over the time they've known each other. Korra - on the other hand - while not uncomfortable, looked deep in thought and judging by the look on her face, it deeply troubled her.

"Hey," Asami nudged Korra with her shoulder, "What's wrong?"

Korra looked at her and Asami could see her mind working through the shorter girl's eyes, "I was just thinking," she trailed off,

"About...?" Asami prompted,

Korra regarded her, "What did you mean when you said people made your life more difficult than it should be?" she said slowly, studying her face for any reaction.

Asami was caught off guard with the question, instinctively raising her walls, "It's nothing," she said defensively, not aware of the way she wrapped her arms around her stomach, as if to protect herself.

Asami only realized this when Korra placed a light hand on her arm, "Asami, you can tell me anything,"

Asami studied the girl before her. Granted, Asami thought Korra was the most trustworthy person next to her father, but Asami had stuck with the mentality that all popular people are the same; looking down on those who weren't as fortunate as them and dragging down those who were.

Korra was - undeniably - the most popular girl in school, being the best female basketball player in their generation did that for her. Asami knew that Korra was different, but she couldn't shake away the fear in her heart, scared that someday Korra will just wake up and treat her the same way everyone else did, ripping out Asami's heart in the process.

But Korra wouldn't do that to her. _Korra is better than that_.

So just like every time before, Asami let Korra in.

"It's just that- for as long as I can remember, people have been giving me shit about my father and his wealth. Things like, how I bought my way into school and how I'm just an airhead with a trust fund," Asami said, eyes focused on the broken wheel of the cart to distract herself.

"I never bothered to correct them, because going against someone at the top of the food chain was bound to end badly." Asami shrugged, "I guess I just learned to block everything out and just go with it, pretend not to be bothered by everyone staying away from me. People didn't want to be caught hanging out with me I suppose,"

"I guess that's why I was so surprised when you guys started talking to me, because why should you when everyone else was treating me like a plague?" Asami joked half-heartedly, but the context of the rhetorical question was true.

Korra was about to protest, but Asami just shook her head, "Korra, it's fine, you guys are amazing people, I know that now. When you guys are around, I don't care about anyone else," Asami had to force herself to refer to the group, because really she just talking about Korra. But that would give her away immediately. 

"But me being there tonight with those people, but this time they're hammered?" Asami shook her head, "That'll end up even worse,"

Korra sighed, "Fuck them, Asami. If they give you shit, I'll give them my fist," she said menacingly, pounding her fist into her palm. Asami couldn't help but laugh at how dorky the gesture looked. Korra broke into a smile once hearing the taller girl laugh.

Korra took Asami's hand delicately - as if she'd break if not extremely careful - looking down at their joined hands before looking up into Asami's eyes, "Fist fight or no fist fight, I'll make sure no one ever hurts you, Asami, not while I'm around."

Asami nodded silently when she felt a lump form in her throat. Before Korra could notice, Asami turned away and started to walk down the aisle at a quicker pace, walking backwards to look at Korra once there was some distance between them and the tears in her eyes almost unnoticeable, "So what are we looking for?"

"A shit ton of mops," Korra raised an eyebrow at the questioning look Asami gave her, "What? Did you think hosting parties was fun? A host is just another name for the person who cleans the puke off the floor." She said as they walked down the aisle for cleaning materials.

"Besides, you're my plus one, which makes you my co-host," Korra joked with a wink.

\------------------------------------------------------

The pair eventually finished going through the aisles and headed towards the counters.

Their purchases were already checked in and Korra took out her wallet to pay when a soft voice spoke up, "You two make a beautiful couple,"

Asami's eyes shot up from looking down at the cart - checking if they missed anything - to an elderly, wizened woman behind the counter.

Beside her, Korra looked like she wanted to say something but something was lodged in her throat, "E-excuse me?" she managed,

"You two make a beautiful couple," The woman repeated, pointing at the two of them as if it impossible for the message to be unclear, when in fact Asami had the words forever imprinted unto her brain.

"No!" Korra exclaimed, and Asami's heart dropped to her feet, "We're just friends," she said defensively,

The old woman frowned, "That's too bad," she gestured at Asami, "This one would be very pretty if she fixed up a bit,"

Asami was taken aback with the woman's compliment-insult, "Uh, thank you?"

Then the woman gestured at Korra, "And this one- well, you certainly have a lot of muscles for a woman don't you," she said as she eyed Korra with a disapproving look on her face.

The expression seemed to irk Korra and she looked like she was ready to tell the old woman off, but thankfully, Asami stepped in before they got kicked out of the store, looping an arm around Korra's and pulling her close,

"Muscles or no muscles, Korra's an amazing person through and through. So if I dated her, it's because of who she is, not what she looks like." 

_Way to go, Asami. So much for being discreet._

Asami tried to ignore the blue eyes boring holes into her as Korra stared.

The old woman smiled, "This one's a keeper," she whispered loudly and sending Korra a wink,

Asami blushed at the old woman's comment, but right now she was more concerned about Korra's reaction. She hesitantly looked at Korra, who had the same unreadable look she had this morning, eyes studying Asami, "Yes, she is," she said dazedly as if not completely aware. Only then did Asami realize their faces were mere inches apart.

Asami's heart raced, she wasn't sure if it was because of what Korra said or their proximity, either way, Asami knew it was because of Korra. She glanced down at Korra's lips before looking back up into her eyes. She licked her own lips, and this time it was Korra's turn to look at her mouth.

Asami knew they could kiss right now if they wanted to, but it was hardly the place - they were in front of an old woman in a supermarket, for god's sake - nor the time. Korra was still hurting. No matter how much she denied it, Asami could see through the barrier she put up. Kissing right now would be wrong on so many levels.

So Asami did something she never thought she'd do when this opportunity was presented to her; she stopped it.

Asami stepped away a bit as she tucked hair behind her ear. Korra blinked, clearing her throat as she picked up the bags filled with their purchases, "Thank you, we better get going," she said to the elderly woman, somewhat avoiding her gaze.

The woman just smiled knowingly at the two of them from behind the counter, "I hope to see you two soon,"

The pair nodded before heading towards the exit.

Suddenly, Opal appeared beside the elderly woman, "Did it work?"

The woman nodded, "I like to believe so, yes,"

Opal broke into a smile, "Thanks Grandma Yin,"

Grandma Yin was still staring after the retreating figures, "I really do think they make a beautiful couple,"

Opal sighed as she slung an arm lightly around the older woman's shoulders, "I do too, Grandma, all they need is a little push."

Grandma Yin nodded before turning around to give Opal a hug, "It's nice seeing you again Opal. Do tell Bolin and Mako to visit me more often,"

Opal grinned before placing a kiss on the elder's cheek, "I will, thanks again!" she said as she started to follow to girls out.

Grandma Yin waved her goodbye before turning back to the counter, musing to herself, "Those muscles _were_ very impressive," 

\------------------------------------------------------ 

Asami stood in front of Korra's home in her shark shirt, her favorite ripped boyfriend jeans and her trusty pair of sneakers - Korra _did_ say dress for comfort - with her fist hovering inches from the door. She knew she could pass through her balcony and into Korra's room, but somehow that felt wrong. So she decided to use the front door instead.

Asami knew knocking would be futile, it'll be drowned out by the high quality speakers they rented. Asami should know, she was the only one who knew how to make sure. Apparently being techy paid off - too well, she realized when the door didn't open despite knocking as hard as she could.

She was suddenly knocked aside, nearly tripping over the edge of the step but luckily was able to regain her balance.

Asami glanced at whoever shoved her - a pair of jocks - and got glares in return.

" _What is she doing here_ ," she heard one of them whisper as they headed inside.

 _And so it begins,_ she thought as she followed their lead, heading through the door and into the chaos inside.

They did a pretty good job if you asked Asami. The speakers blasted like there was no tomorrow, strobe lights blinding but set the mood, a surplus of drinks on the kitchen counter and basically that counts for a wild party in Asami's book.

And how Korra's parents were okay with this, Asami will never understand.

The moment Asami was through the door a voice called out her name from the crowd. But of course Asami would recognize that voice anywhere.

Asami turned around to find Korra pushing through the crowd to get to her, smiles forming on their lips the moment their eyes met,

"Hey Asami!" Korra screamed, tackling Asami in a hug as if they haven't seen each other for years.

Asami laughed, "You know I was gone for just half an hour right? And I live right next to you?"

Korra pouted, "That doesn't mean I won't miss you every second you're gone,"

Asami's heart fluttered in her chest, _Goddamn this girl and her way with words_ , she thought as she poked Korra's side, "Aww, who knew you were such a sap," she teased, but inside she didn't know whether to laugh or cry or both upon hearing what Korra said.

Korra merely smiled at her before holding out her hand, "Come on, you're just in time,"

Asami didn't know what Korra was talking about, but took her hand anyway, "In time for what?" she asked as Korra pulled her through the crowd.

Korra looked over shoulder, giving Asami a smirk, "You'll see," she said mysteriously, which only piqued Asami's interest even more.

As Korra led her through the crowd to _god knows_ where, Asami laughed as Korra plucked drinks off other people's hands and downing them before giving it back. By the sixth stolen drink, Korra offered Asami the drink, which she turned down with a laugh. Korra shrugged before downing it as well. Korra wasn't hammered, but Asami was willing to bet she was going to be by the end of the night.

Suddenly, Asami got the nagging feeling that someone was watching her. Scanning the crowd, Asami met the eyes that were already trained on hers, eyes a darker green compared to hers and even darker now with anger.

Asami stopped dead in her tracks, immobilized by the stare. She'd never seen a look filled with so much hate and _rage_ , like the bearer would do anything to obliterate the target of it's stare. Asami had a feeling that was pretty accurate when it came to Kuvira.

Korra turned and stepped closer to Asami, who was still staring back at those eyes, "Hey," Korra squeezed the hand she was holding, "What's wrong?"

Asami never ripped her eyes away from the one's gripping her own, "Are you aware that Kuvira's here?"

Korra followed her line of sight and sighed when she understood, "Yeah, she is part of the team." She shrugged, "Just ignore her and she won't do anything," Korra tried to reassure her.

Asami finally looked away, nodding, "Alright, let's go,"

Korra squeezed her hand before turning to lead her through the crowd once again.

Asami could still feel those eyes on her as they walked away.

\------------------------------------------------------

"A keg stand? I'm just in time for a _keg stand_?"

Korra waved her off, "Don't worry about it, you don't have to do it unless you want to."

The group that gathered around the beer keg cheered once Korra stepped behind it, "You're in time to help _me_ do a keg stand," she said with a wicked grin.

Asami rolled her eyes, "Fine,"

Korra gave her another grin before motioning Mako and Bolin to come over. Asami was obviously in charge of the tap, being the weaker one among her and the boys.

Asami stepped up to take the tap and the valve in each hand as Korra braced herself, gripping the sides of the keg.

A voice shouted, "I bet you couldn't last a minute!"

Korra looked up and grinned at the general direction of where the voice came from, "How about two?" causing cheers and howls to erupt from the crowd.

She turned to Asami, opening her mouth for the tap to be placed in it, "Hit me,"

Asami placed the tap in Korra's mouth and shivered when she felt Korra's lips brush her skin. She stepped back to put some space between them and turned to Mako, "What now?"

"Turn on the valve in three, two, one-" he counted down as the boys lifted Korra's legs off the floor and settled her in a handstand position.

Asami twisted the valve once Korra gained enough balance, allowing the beer to flow into her mouth, but then Bolin and Mako let go of her legs and backed away,

"What are you doing?!" Asami shrieked as she whipped around to face the brothers, the crowd cheering around them, "She'll fall!"

Bolin sent her a smirk, "Turn around, Asami," pointing at Korra,

Asami spun around, expecting to find Korra struggling to keep herself upright, only to find the girl balancing herself with ease, a calm expression on her face as she swallowed the flow coming from the tap.

The group that gathered around them didn't stop cheering, whooping and howling as Korra just kept chugging. Asami was bent down, watching Korra, wondering how she was doing this all on her own.

Korra gave Asami a wink, then the cheers turned into screams when Korra started to push herself up and down, still maintaining perfect balance in the last 20 seconds.

Louder cheers erupted around them when Korra bent her knees and dropped to the ground with impossible stability.

Asami rushed over to her, holding her by the shoulders, "Are you okay? Are you feeling dizzy? Do you need a trash can?"

Korra waved her off, tilting over just a bit, like she drank just 5 beers, not 15, "I'm fine, Asami," she hiccuped, "I've dealt with worse,"

Asami slapped her arm, making the drunk girl burst into laughter, "You're a fucking idiot," Asami said in a serious tone, but the smile on her face gave her away.

Korra winked, "You love me anyway,"

Then a voice rose in the crowd, "Hey the rich girl should go next!"

Both girls turned to the voice. Asami recognized the two jocks that shoved her outside. She didn't notice Korra place herself in front of Asami.

"Nah man, she's too much of a fucking princess to do anything like that. Maybe she'll pay someone to do it for her-"

It all happened so quickly. One second Korra was right in front of her, and in the next there was a blur, then Asami saw Korra on top of a boy, fists flying and connecting with flesh, all she heard were meaty thuds and what sounded like crushing bones.

"Korra, stop!" Asami screamed as she rushed over to the girl.

She tried to pull Korra away from the boy - who tried to protect himself but proven to be futile - but Korra just shoved her hands away, "You don't get to say shit like that to her!" Korra screamed as she continued to beat the boy.

Suddenly, bigger hands entered Asami's vision, two pairs grabbing Korra's arms and pulling her back.

Korra tried to lunge forward and continue her assault on her victim, who was helped up by his friend and - thankfully - only seemed to have a black eye and a bloody nose. Nothing fatal.

Asami walked up to the boy and looked him straight in the eye, "Just go, have yourself treated," and the boy left with a nod.

Korra continued to struggle against Mako and Bolin, "Where the fuck are you going? Not man enough to fight back?" she taunted, practically snarling in anger.

Asami placed her hands on Korra's chest, holding her back, "Enough, Korra! He didn't mean any harm! I'm fine, see?" she tried to calm her down, eyes pleading for Korra to regain her composure.

Oddly enough, it worked. Asami could visibly see the fight go out of Korra; her expression softening as her shoulders released tension. She looked at Asami, down at her bloodied knuckles and back up at Asami, "I'm so sorry, Asami. I thought-"

Asami shushed her, pulling her close into her arms, and Korra gratefully slumped into her. 

And the party carried on after that, as if nothing had happened.

\------------------------------------------------------

Asami always knew parties were stupid. They were overrated, just an excuse to get drunk, do stupid things and forget everything by morning.

She was right.

Everyone was beyond tipsy by now. Everyone was too loud, alcohol numbing their ability to regulate their volume, the occasional shoving fight, thankfully not as bad as Korra's, and the _ever_ present, faux drunk girls "falling" into jock's arms. That was the worst in Asami's standards.

Asami rolled her eyes, tipping her cup of Kool-Aid she was nursing on the couch. She savored the cool, _non-spiked_ , sweetness swirl in her mouth. Asami was not going to get drunk tonight. She was more responsible than that.

Unlike Korra.

If Asami had to determine who was the most drunk by now, she'd have to say it's Korra. She was already tipsy when Asami arrived, but after that keg stand? And the gallon's worth of vodka she had after that? Hammered was probably an understatement by now.

The said girl was nowhere to be found, _Probably passed out somewhere_ , Asami thought sadly, she was looking forward to spending some time with the girl tonight.

The couch tipped slightly, making Asami jump in her seat. She looked at the other end of the couch to find a girl straddling a boy, both in heavy lip lock. Asami rolled her eyes, _Some people and their raging hormones,_

Asami's patience started to wane once the sounds of their sloppy kisses started to get to her. She winced every time she heard their lips pop when they separated and when their tongues made a slicking sound as they slid against each other.

Her annoyance spiked when the boy flipped the girl unto her back, her head landing on Asami's lap.

Before Asami could throw her off, a pair of hands picked the girl up and dropped her into the arms of her boyfriend. Asami looked up to black spiky hair and golden eyes. Mako.

Asami returned the smile the boy was giving her, "Don't tell me you're drunk beyond repair too," she said with mock despair.

Mako plopped down the couch beside her with his arm thrown over the back. He propped his head on his hand to fully face her, "Nah, I'm usually the designated sober person. Something goes wrong, count on me to deal with it," he remarked with a roll of his eyes.

She placed a hand on his forearm, "I'm sure they appreciate it,"

Mako snorted, "Yeah, right."

Asami pinched his arm, making the boy recoil and cradle his arm as if he had something fatal, "Don't be ridiculous!" Asami exclaimed indignantly, which was promptly laughed at.

Asami felt eyes on her once again. She scanned the living room and she found them, only it wasn't on her, but on Mako. It was coming from a dark skinned boy with curly hair. He was scrawny but cute in a way.

"Hey Mako," she poked at him, still looking at the pair of eyes watching her friend, "I think someone's appreciating you already," she teased, "Who is that?"

His eyes followed where she was looking and once registering who it was, he immediately looked away, "Never seen him before in my life," he said somewhat defensively, scowling at the floor.

The boy was still staring and it didn't take a genius to know that they _obviously_ knew each other, but why would Mako pretend not to?

"Mako," Asami said calmly, "What are you hiding?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Mako."

"What?"

"Spill it."

"I have nothing to spill,"

"We both know that's a lie,"

"No we don't,"

"..."

"... I just haven't told anyone before,"

Asami clapped her hands together once, "Now we're getting somewhere," she joked,

Mako studied her - as if debating whether to tell her or not - before looking away, "I never told anyone because I feel like they would never treat me the same way if I do," he said quietly, but Asami didn't miss the way his voice cracked in the end.

"Oh shit," Asami whispered, immediately taking Mako's hand in her own, "Mako-"

"Hey guys," A voice interrupted them flatly, almost rudely.

Asami looked up into bloodshot blue eyes, flushed brown skin, and a smile that looked more like baring of teeth, "Korra."

Korra didn't pay her any mind, hazy eyes focused on the joined hands between Asami and Mako, "Am I interrupting something?" she said I that same flat voice.

"Well, me and Asami were-"

Korra cut him off, "Perfect! Wanna dance Asami?" she asked, but she was already pulling Asami along with her.

Korra was being unreasonably territorial - and it's not like there was anything to be territorial about - but Asami knew she was drunk. Asami should just humor her, just dance with her. Asami actually wanted to, but then Mako looked so sad and lost that Asami couldn't do that to him.

Asami pulled back slightly, "Actually Korra," Asami interrupted, making Korra look back at her, confusion taking over her intoxicated gaze, "I think I'm going to stay here with Mako,"

Confusion quickly transformed into incredulity in a matter of seconds. There were quick flashes of emotions in her eyes, but it went by too quickly for Asami to name any of them before they closed off, suddenly betraying no emotion, "Yeah, of course," Korra said, immediately letting go of Asami's hand and stepping away from her.

Asami nodded, grateful that Korra understood. She turned around to grab Mako's hand and started to pull him upstairs where they could talk in private. She was genuinely worried about the boy, she figured talking between just the two of them would help.

Asami didn't notice the eyes lingering on her as they climbed the stairs to head to Korra's balcony and to her own room.

\------------------------------------------------------

Korra watched the two head up the stairs with heir hands intertwined. _Probably headed to her room_ , Korra gripped her bottle harder at the thought.

Because why wouldn't Asami go for Mako? He was an A+ student, gentle, stable. Everything Korra wasn't.

Korra stormed over to the counter, shoving anyone who stood in her way, and poured herself a shot, _I thought she liked me_ , Korra downed the shot,

 _She could be perfectly happy with Mako_ , a shot

 _How could she possibly like you_ , another shot

 _You're a mess_ , and another

 _How can you assure her you'll love her when you can't even love yourself?_ , memories of the accident flashed through her mind as more alcohol flooded her throat,

She tried to force down the emotions threatening to overwhelm her, but she couldn't. Korra slammed the shot glass on the table with so much force that it shattered.

People were watching her, but she couldn't care less.

Her hand was bleeding, but she couldn't care less.

A hand touched her and when she looked up to find the wrong shade of green eyes, she couldn't care less.

Because she was hurt.

Because she was jealous.

Because the girl she wanted would be happier with someone else.

Korra looked back up at into the wrong eyes of the wrong person. A part of Korra knew she was just drunk, she wasn't thinking straight and her judgment was hazy.

But all Korra wanted right now was to feel.

So she did.

\------------------------------------------------------

Asami spent a total of five minutes to get Mako to just get it over with. She had already written him under _The second most stubborn person Asami Sato knows_ , because the first would definitely be Korra. No question.

But Asami was nothing if not persistent. She would do anything to get what she wanted. And her persistence hasn't failed her yet.

Today was no exception.

"Okay but you have to swear not to tell anyone," Mako pleaded,

Asami did the dorkiest thing ever; she crossed her heart and held out her pinky, "I cross my heart,"

Mako took in a deep breath, held it for around 5 seconds, "I don't think I can do this," he released in one breath,

Asami sighed, "Mako, you looked so lost a while ago and I thought talking about it would help," she patted his hand, "But it's okay if you don't wanna talk-"

"I think I have feelings for Wu," he blurted out quickly before hiding his face in his hands.

Asami blinked, "Wu as in the guy staring at you earlier?"

Asami could see Mako's ears go red as he blushed, "He's just really sweet and I feel amazing when I talk to him,"

Asami's eyebrow slowly crept up, "And you're ashamed of this because...?"

Mako looked up and stared into Asami's eyes, "Because I'm afraid of what other people would think, what Wu would think,"

Asami grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him gently, "Were you even there with me downstairs? The way the guy was staring at you, he obviously likes you, Mako."

She squeezed his shoulders reassuringly, "And true friends will always stick by you no matter what."

Asami held Mako's face in her hands, "Mako, in the short time we've known each other, you already feel like the brother I've never had. So I'm telling you now, own up to your feelings and just be happy,"

Mako nodded as a smile slowly crept up in his handsome face, "I think I will eventually, I just need to wait for the right time," he took Asami's hands away from his face and held them in his own, "But I want both you and Korra to be happy as well," he said sincerely,

Asami's eyebrows furrowed, "What do you mean?"

"Asami, everyone knows you two like each other," Mako insisted,

Asami was getting more confused by the second. Korra liking her? Impossible, "Mako, there is no way Korra likes me back," _Right?_

"Okay it's my turn to say it, were _you_ even there with me downstairs? She nearly killed a guy for calling you a princess," Mako _laughed_ , he had the audacity to laugh while the world felt like it was giving out under her feet.

But was it possible? Is it possible that Korra actually liked her back? It seemed to good to be true.

Mako seemed to read her thoughts, or maybe it was just clearly written on her face, "Talk to her. She's probably just scared you don't feel the same way,"

Asami was about to interrupt him but he just held up a hand, "I know you think it's too soon, but life's too short to wait for something to come to you. Go after what makes you happy,"

Not knowing what to say, Asami wrapped her arms around Mako, who quickly returned the hug, "Go, Asami," he said, giving her a small nudge towards the balcony which led to Korra's house.

Asami nodded, giving him a brave smile before heading towards the bridge she made for her and Korra. Things were going to change.

Only Asami didn't know how much.

\------------------------------------------------------

Asami ran like her life depended on it, nearly ripping the balcony door from its hinges and into Korra's room, sneakers slapping on the wooden floors, 

_Korra closed the door immediately and shoved her against it, her feverish lips already seeking contact,_

Asami burst through Korra's bedroom door and into the hallway. She sprinted down the stairs, stopping just to scan the living room from a higher point. No sign of Korra.

_Lips slid against hers and a tongue massaged hers, the feeling was intoxicating, but it wasn't enough to distract Korra from the ache she felt in her heart,_

Asami waded through the crowd, knowing that those blue eyes would instantly meet with hers if Korra were here. She searched for the one face she wanted to see, but Asami didn't see it,

_Korra gripped her thighs before picking her up, legs automatically wrapping around her waist as Korra headed to the bed with their lips never separating,_

Asami was growing worried. She grabbed the nearest person by the shoulders and it happened to be the boy with the black eye. He flinched when he saw her, expecting to get kicked out, but Asami didn't have time for that, "Did you see Korra?"

_Korra wasted no time. Once Korra dropped her on the bed, she immediately set to work; latching her lips on her pulse point while her hands worked on the button down underneath her,_

"I think I saw her head there," the boy pointed down the hall. Before the boy could say anything else, Asami was already gone, heading towards the direction the boy pointed to,

_The body underneath hers was heaving as Korra let her lips trail downwards on the now exposed torso, sucking, biting and licking as she went lower, unzipping her pants slowly, teasingly,_

Asami tried to swallow the smile threatening to take over her face. She was going to tell Korra.

_The pants fell to a heap on the floor just as Korra lavished the girl's navel with her mouth, inching closer and closer,_

Asami had a sickening feeling in her gut. She wrote it off as nervousy and ignored the warning her instincts were giving her. She stood in front of the only door in the hall. She took in a deep breath as she placed her hand on the door knob and twisted it open.

_Korra relished in the writhing of the body underneath hers as she placed light kisses on the girl's outer lips. The pain she felt was almost gone, far in the back of her mind, but it was still there and Korra wanted it gone. So she gave in._

Asami stared at sweaty and unclothed skin.

Asami caught the look on Kuvira's face, half smug and half caught in bliss.

Asami watched hands stroking the familiar short cropped hair on the head between Kuvira's legs.

Asami stared at the green eyes that stared directly into her own, smirking as she let out a moan, coaxing a moan coming from the mouth lavishing her with attention.

Asami couldn't bring herself to look down, to look at the person she had grown so fond of _attached_ to someone else, when she had just allowed herself to hope, _actually_  sincerely hoped that she shared the same feelings Asami had for her.

And she was stupid enough to actually believe it.

Asami stumbled back, suddenly desperate to get away from here, from Kuvira, from the girl she thought she _loved_. 

In her haste, she accidentally slammed against the door frame, but she ignored the pain that shot up her back, because what caused her even more pain was Korra looking up and staring directly into her eyes.

It was too much. Under that stare, under those blue eyes that used to bring so much happiness into her, she broke. Asami cracked under that stare and she couldn't control the tears that rolled down her cheeks. She couldn't control the sob that escaped her lips. She couldn't control her legs as she sprinted out, but she let her instincts control her, telling her to run away as far as she could, because all she wanted to do was break down and curl in on herself. 

In order to protect herself, she ran.

She could hear her name being called out behind her, but she ran.

She wanted to turn back around, but she ran.

She ran because it was a matter of self-preservation, because if Asami stopped, she didn't know if she could survive it.

She didn't know how she made it there, but somehow she arrived in her room. She quickly locked the balcony door behind her with trembling fingers, cursing and crying out when her fingers slipped. 

She eventually got the lock to slip into place, just in time for _her_ to slam against the door, fiddle with the door knob and call out Asami's name, telling her to let her in.

Asami almost gave in, almost unlocked the door and let her in. On a normal day, Asami would do anything for her. But Asami's instincts were in charge now, and the only thing that mattered was self-preservation.

Asami grabbed her headphones and placed it over her ears, angrily swiping the tears that wouldn't stop leaking from her eyes. She buried her head in the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, and the last thing she thought of made more tears soak the pillow under her before she fell into a fitful sleep;

_I'll make sure no one ever hurts you, Asami, not while I'm around,_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oops :>
> 
> Let me know what you think of this chapter!
> 
> As always, kudos, comments and bookmarks are greatly appreciated!
> 
> Side Note: I am questioning my decisions in life now. But hey, Opal ships the fuck outta them right? That makes the chapter okay right? RIGHT?
> 
> SIDE SIDE NOTE: I've read all your comments so far, and to be honest I can't tell whether the reaction is I HATE IT or I LOVE HATE IT. 
> 
> Regardless, I feel the need to assure all of you, especially those of you who think this story will no longer be worth your time, I ask you, please trust me on this.
> 
> I have always been grateful for all of you sticking by me in this story, so please hold on for at least one more chapter. I swear it'll be worth your time and I'll make up for this chapter. 
> 
> I'm sorry for making you all doubt this story, but once again, I ask you to trust me. Thank you


	16. Announcement

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not an update haha

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I felt the sudden need to post something before I update this fic with the last chapter in a few days (Specifically July 19)
> 
> I am feeling oddly sentimental because I've been working on this fic for around 3 months and it is about to end.
> 
> Thank you for sticking by me all this time. I know I'm like the worst when it comes to updating quickly but for those of you who stuck around, I am eternally grateful. 
> 
> And since I'm not quite ready to let go of this fic just yet, I kindly ask of you guys not to unsubscribe after you've read the update on Sunday, because I may have some future plans and announcements for you. ;)
> 
> Anyways, so this thing isn't a total waste, have this snippet from what is turning out to be a VERY long finale. 
> 
> Once again, sorry this isn't an update haha

_There she was, right in front of Asami, in all her glory, with their hands intertwined. Before today, Asami would have rejoiced at the situation, but all she felt then was pain as her heart twisted in her chest and more weight seemed to press down and immobilize her._

_Because that's what it feels like when hope is taken away from you; it feels like you can't move because there's nothing motivating you to move, nothing pushing you forward, nothing for you to strive for, so what's the point of trying?_

_Asami stared at their linked hands wistfully, a vivid and painful reminder of what could've been._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't tell if this would help with the anticipation or the complete opposite. 
> 
> Okay from what you can probably tell with the snippet, this chapter's going to be VERY angsty. 
> 
> But I swear on my future as a doctor (that's something I hold very near and dear) that it will all be worth it. 
> 
> Also I've had Wildest Dreams by Taylor Swift on repeat while writing the update. It's up to you guys to figure out what that means ;)
> 
> Watch out for the update!
> 
> EDIT: I ACCIDENTALLY POSTED THE UNFINISHED CHAPTER AND I'M SORRY FOR THE FALSE ALARM. I HOPE NO ONE OPENED IT BEFORE I DELETED IT OMG


	17. Wildest Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Say you'll remember me,
> 
> Standing in a nice dress, staring at the sunset,
> 
> Red lips and rosy cheeks,
> 
> Say you'll see me again even if it's just in your wildest dreams,"
> 
> – Wildest Dreams, Taylor Swift

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> JESUS CHRIST THIS WAS THE MOST STRESSFUL CHAPTER TO WRITE EVER 
> 
> But I got it out yay
> 
> I REALLY hope you guys like this, it's the longest chapter and the one I'm least confident about because finales always have to be good
> 
> P.S. Wow an actual title and summary hahahaha
> 
> Please tell me what you think of it, legit I am terrified.

Asami woke up in the morning with barely any sleep from the night before and all she wanted to do was curl up in front of the TV and catch up on the latest episode of The 100 – anything to avoid going to school that day.

They had around two weeks left before graduation and Asami already felt it in the air. Everyone was excited but at the same time relaxed; the school prepared a week before the event so there was nothing left to do but practice. It was pretty basic, so Asami didn't know why she bothered going to school that day in the first place.

It was the last place Asami wanted to be after last night. There was an almost hundred percent chance she would see the person that brought fresh tears to Asami's eyes every time she thought of her.

Asami could feel eyes lingering on her as she walked down the hallway to head to her locker. In fact, she knew she was being watched from the moment she set foot on school grounds.

They weren't the typical stares she had grown used to; the ones sent by those who judged and teased her. No, they were different.

At first Asami just assumed people noticed the dark circles under her bloodshot eyes or maybe they saw the shadow that seemed to follow her around, but these were things people didn't bother noticing about her.

Asami knew that wasn't it, she saw them look away guiltily – something they never had the decency to do before – as if they were afraid. Asami figured word of the black eye had gotten around pretty quickly. Dropping her bag off in her locker, she ducked her head and quickened her pace because didn't exactly lighten up her mood.

"Asami!" She heard a voice call out from behind her. She didn't have to turn around to find out whose it was, Asami would still recognize that voice if a hundred more voices were speaking around them at the same time.

She squeezed her eyes shut, _P_ _lease, not now_ , she prayed to whatever god was listening.

But of course her prayers went unanswered, she realized, as she felt a hand wrap around her wrist.

Asami turned around to meet her fate. She plastered a smile on her face but really all she wanted to do was run away all over again.

There she was, right in front of Asami, in all her glory, with their hands intertwined. Before then, Asami would have rejoiced at the situation, but all she felt was pain as her heart twisted in her chest and more weight seemed to press down and immobilize her.

Because that's what it feels like when hope is taken away from you; it feels like you can't move because there's nothing motivating you to move, nothing pushing you forward, nothing for you to strive for, so what's the point of trying?

Asami stared at their linked hands wistfully, a vivid and painful reminder of _what could've been_. And when Korra seemed to come to her senses and pulled away, Asami was surprised to find that she was not disappointed, but actually relieved.

The realization blindsided Asami, because for once in her life, she cared for her own emotional welfare first before anyone else's. She didn't know whether to consider that as selfish or necessary to keep herself sane.

Asami looked back up to the eyes she loved so much, which were staring intently into her own, "Asami, look. About what happened last night—"

"Korra, can we not talk about this now?" _Not now, in fact, not ever,_ she pleaded, still praying to that god in hopes he would actually listen to her this time.

No such luck. Korra shook her head and held out her hands as if it could stop Asami from leaving if she wanted to, "You have to hear me out."

Asami could feel people's eyes on them. She resisted the urge to scream at them because that's all she felt like doing really – scream until everything was drowned out.

She stared up into Asami's eyes, willing her to see the truth in her words, "Last night meant nothing to me. You have no idea how much I regret I feel, because I feel nothing for Kuvira. Not anymore. I don't want to be with her, I want to be with—"

"Please, Korra. Don't finish that sentence," Asami interrupted, not wanting to hear what Korra was about to say, as if it would magically make the scars on her heart disappear.

Korra took her hand and held it to her chest, pleading with her eyes, "Please, don't you see how sorry I am?" she said. Neither of them missed the way Korra's voice cracked in the end.

"That's the thing," Asami started quietly, "You have nothing to be sorry for," she said as she took a step back, effectively separating their hands and adding space between them.

She watched as Korra dropped her hands to her sides and stared at Asami. She was speechless, only shaking her head at Asami in denial and disbelief.

Asami smiled sadly, "It's not like we were together in the first place, right?" She tried to hide the tremble in her voice and breathed deeply to control the tears she felt prickling in the back of her eyes.

"I just need time, Korra," she couldn't do it, not when the wounds were still fresh. Asami spun around to leave but no matter how quickly she left, she still caught Korra's eyes.

Asami knew that they had an undeniable connection, one that was there from the start and probably always would be. No matter how far away one pushed the other, Asami would always know Korra the most.

In that moment she easily read Korra's eyes, even with just a brief glance. There was hurt, pain, guilt, regret, longing and even grief.

Asami's resolve wavered. She could have accepted Korra's apology and maybe they could have a happy ending, but she knew it wouldn't work. They _both_ needed time; to heal, to learn, and to grow.

Asami saw no anger nor resentment in Korra's eyes and she allowed herself to believe that eventually, they would move past that obstacle and even salvage their friendship. But that didn't make the decision in that moment any easier.

But she knew it was for the best.

So Asami turned around and focused on each step she made because her heart was telling her to stop and go back.

She kept her head held high to hide pain and grief she felt.

She clenched her fists at her sides to hide the trembling she felt resonating through her bones.

She tried to hide every tell tale thing that showed she was breaking on the inside.

Asami kept her emotions pent up within herself. It felt like she was about to overflow until she couldn't control it anymore.

She didn't realize how true it was until then, when she couldn't stop the tears from rolling down her cheeks, like she was overflowing.

Asami walked away, and she never heard anyone come after her.

\------------------------------------------------------

Time crawled by especially slow during History class as Raiko droned on and on. Korra had grown bored of stabbing her doodle of Raiko with her pencil so she started to space out and she couldn't help but think about the past few days.

She studied Asami as the girl listened intently to the lesson being taught in front. A week ago, Korra would not have hesitated to engage Asami in conversation – and effectively distract her from learning – and Asami would eagerly oblige. It was their way of letting the time pass and before they knew it, class was over.

Korra was never really bothered by time before and it flew by pretty quickly for her but now it was a completely different story. With in each passing second, the palpable space between her and Asami grew and it was killing her slowly. She wished she could somehow stop time, but she knew even that wouldn't remove the stain that had already tainted them. 

When Korra had entered the classroom, she had saved a seat for Asami and the girl sat beside her like she always did, but she knew Asami was hyper aware of their proximity. It made Korra's heart twist in her chest seeing Asami – who used to be so comfortable with her – act like Korra had the plague; like if she came too close she would get hurt all over again. 

In the long weeks after they talked, Asami had resumed to act normal with Korra and the group – still hung out, laughed and smiled whenever appropriate – but Korra could still see the sadness lurking behind her eyes. Korra wondered if she had scarred the girl for life, traumatized her to a point that she would never trust anyone the way she trusted Korra.

Asami gave her heart to Korra, and she had torn it to pieces.

Korra knew the girl wasn't mad, but if she were being completely honest, she wished Asami was. At least then Korra had a real part of the girl, and not the shell that acted like Asami.

It was selfish of Korra to think that, but she couldn't help but think that way when Asami closed off, raising her walls, never allowing herself to be alone in the same room with Korra. Only then did she realize how much of a staple Asami had become to her life.

Korra stole a quick glance at the girl beside her. She never realized how dependent on Asami she had become. Korra hadn't realized how much of her everyday activities had something to do with her. She hadn't realized that everything seemed so dull and bleak without the light Asami brought with her wherever she went. It had become torture for Korra as she stood by and watched Asami drift farther away from her.

 _Asami said she needed time, and you have to give it to her,_ Korra reminded herself as leaned back in her seat and allowed herself to study Asami from behind. Korra wasn't willing to lose her just because she was impatient. It wasn't like Korra had any right to be anyway, considering how the situation was her fault in the first place.

Soon after Korra had spoken to Asami, Mako had pulled her aside to talk. Dread seeped through her bones the more Mako explained – how he and Asami never had something more than platonic feelings for each other, how they had only talked that night, how he had told Asami about Korra's feelings for her – and she felt even more like crap after.

Korra had a moment of weakness; she had jumped to conclusions and made a rash decision, because she felt abandoned. It was selfish and impulsive and she made a huge mistake. Now she had to deal with the consequences. 

Not being able to be with Asami like she used to had almost become physically painful for Korra. It was like someone tore out a part of her heart that was just for Asami and all that was left was a gaping wound that needed that part back. But who was Korra to complain?

She involuntarily sighed out loud and Asami looked at her from the corner of her eye but proceeded to listen to the lesson. It hurt knowing that before the mistake, Asami wouldn't have hesitated to ask what was on Korra's mind. But now all she got was a brief glance.

Korra's head shot up when she heard the door click open, grateful for a distraction to pull her out of her thoughts.

Principal Bumi slipped through the door and leaned against the door frame with a smirk on his face. The class snickered because everyone knew Raiko never liked to be interrupted and judging by the constipated look on his face, Bumi's mission was accomplished. 

Raiko opened his mouth to _politely_ *cough* ask about the Principal's business in his class, but Bumi just raised his hand to stop him, much to the professor's outrage.

The Principal turned to the students, ignoring the History teacher completely except to hand him a brown envelope, "Good morning, students."

The class murmured their replies but everyone was too busy scrutinizing the envelope to pay any extra attention to the Principal.

Bumi cleared his throat obnoxiously to recapture the attention of the students, "Now if you let me explain what that is," he said pointedly, "That envelope contains all your college acceptance letters." He said as Raiko began to distribute the contents. The students squirmed in their seats in anticipation and Korra felt her stomach drop, _Why now? Of all times, why now?_

Korra saw her envelope being dropped on her table and all she could do was stare at it. She looked up at Asami who took her's from Raiko with a smile. _This is going to be awkward,_ she thought as she picked up the envelope and opened it.

Opal spun around in her seat in front of them, mouth agape as she stared at her envelope in awe, "O.M.G." she enunciated very carefully, "I'm going to AAU. I'm going where Lauren Conrad studied." she gasped, " _I might even sit on the toilet she sat on._ " she said reverently, which was ironic since she just talked about toilets; but it wasn't like Korra could focus on that as she stared at the print before her eyes.

"I don't even wanna make you elaborate on that," Asami laughed, which pulled Korra from her daze and stared at the girl beside her.

Opal peeked at the paper in Asami's hand, "So where'd you get in?"

Asami raised the paper for the girl to see and flashed a proud smile, "Stanford,"

Opal nodded, "Good enough," 

Asami looked affronted as she threw her pencil at Opal. The girl swatted it aside easily before turning to Korra, "What's wrong with you?" she asked bluntly.

Korra ripped her eyes off Asami to stare at Opal, "What?"

She gestured at Korra with her hand, "You've been staring into space. What, bad school?"

Korra hesitated before shaking her head, "No," she looked away from Opal and stared at Asami, "I got in Stanford,"

The silence grew after Korra spoke, then there was a quiet voice from beside her, "What?"

Korra ran a hand through her hair, "I didn't know you were going until I already applied for the athletic scholarship," she reasoned, "And two months ago you told me you were going there, I kept it a secret because I wanted to surprise you—" _because we were okay then, before I made a mistake_. She couldn't continue the sentence but the look on Asami's face meant she understood. Korra didn't know if she liked that or not.

Asami looked away, but not before Korra could see the brief flash of pain in her eyes, "Well, consider me surprised," she said evasively.

Opal coughed, clearly uncomfortable as she tried to lighten up the atmosphere, "Well, you know what they say, college is your fresh start,"

"I hope you're right," Korra never took her eyes off Asami, studying her, memorizing every part of her because every moment with her felt like the last as Asami drifted farther and farther away until it felt like she was almost out of reach.

\------------------------------------------------------

The last notes of their alma mater resonated through the pavilion just as the crowd of students around Asami burst into screams and cheers. Her heart was still pounding in her chest from the valedictorian speech she gave but every word she spoke was heartfelt and true, so she supposed the anxiety was worth it.

She exited the stage and beamed at the students that congratulated her. It didn't matter if they didn't like Asami or if they barely talked to each other, because all that mattered was that they made it. They were entering a new chapter in their lives and it was exciting as much as it was terrifying.

Asami heard her name called out from the mass of parents and guardians. She spotted her father; whooping and jumping _for her_ and her heart swelled with pride. 

She caught sight of the empty chair beside him and she couldn't stop the wave of sadness that washed over her, but she didn't allow herself to get carried away. She convinced herself that her mother would have been as proud as her father was, if not even more so.

The thought made a smile form on Asami's face before she felt her phone buzz in her pocket. _I'll go ahead and make sure that reservation sticks because we both know how in demand Kwong's is. Don't worry, I'll give you your celebratory hugs and kisses when you get there_. _Congratulations honey_. Her smile grew upon seeing the text from her father. Mom would definitely have been proud of them both.

Suddenly all Asami could see was a muscular chest as she was picked up from the ground in a hug from the one and only Bolin, "You were so amazing up there but how dare you make me so emotional!" he cried as he finally placed her down. 

Asami laughed when she saw actual tears in his eyes and gave him another – more gentle – hug before he was shoved out of the way and Asami saw a familiar handsome face instead of a chest.

Mako snorted, "Were you expecting anything else?" he joked before taking Asami in his arms, which she happily returned, "But he's right," he said with a wink.

The encounter ended as quickly as it started when Bolin began to pull Mako away, "Oh I think I see Opal!"

"And why do I need to be there?" Asami laughed when she heard Mako's reply before they were completely swallowed up by the crowd around them. 

Asami took a moment to look around her once she was alone. She studied every face; their features overridden with joy, excitement, and even fear for the future. High school might not have been the best experience, but she committed every single detail to memory because whether it was good or bad, they made her who she was. 

It wasn't until she saw a familiar face did she stop and stare. _Korra_.

Their eyes met and Asami felt an odd sense of nostalgia and she realized it perfectly described what she was feeling; Korra felt like home and she thought nothing was ever going to change that.

Asami didn't realize the girl was coming until she was right in front of her. Korra looked down at her feet as she scuffed them against the hardwood floor, "You did good up there," she said against the noise of the crowd, still avoiding eye contact.

She didn't know what compelled her to do so, but Asami pulled Korra into her arms and held her there. Maybe it was the sentimental vibe that came along with graduating or maybe Asami just missed having Korra close, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that Korra was in her arms and Korra clung to her like a lifeline. That small moment was enough to give Asami a smidgen of hope that they would be okay.

Because despite that lingering hurt, Asami wanted them to be okay, wanted things to go back to normal.

She wanted to come home.

The scars would always be there, but maybe they would fade over time. 

\---------------------

Asami shrugged off her toga as she walked back to the parking lot once she had said her farewells. She sent a quick message to her father, telling him she was on her way.

She was fishing for her car keys in her purse when she heard a voice cut through the silence of the night, "You never know when to give up, do you,"

Asami closed her eyes as she felt dread seep into her. She had managed to avoid Kuvira since that fateful night, but it would've been a miracle if she escaped without seeing her at least once.

Korra had avoided Kuvira as well; only seeing her when necessary or when she didn't have a choice. Maybe it was involuntary, but whenever Kuvira passed by and glared, Korra would always look at Asami guiltily, as if she thought it was all her fault. Asami never had the strength to bring up the topic. She buried it deep and hoped it would never be dug up again.

She looked up and found Kuvira leaning against the hood of Asami's car, "What do you want Kuvira," she said flatly, betraying no emotion when all she wanted to do was run and hide. 

Kuvira eyed her like she was scrutinizing shit she accidentally stepped on, "From a homewrecker? Nothing," 

Shame flooded Asami, but it was immediately overpowered by anger. She had tolerated Kuvira for a long time but she can only take so much.

" _Homewrecker_?" Asami said incredulously, "You're saying _I_ ruined your relationship? Well, you clearly didn't need any help, because _you_ did this all on your own."

Kuvira looked just about ready to hit her, but then wiped her face clean of any anger with a calm expression, and that was exactly what Asami thought it was; the calm before the storm, "You're right," Kuvira nodded somberly,

"But enough about me," She cocked her head to the side as she stared at Asami contemplatively, "How does it feel to be second choice?" Kuvira said with a small smile.

Asami recoiled, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh come on, Asami," she said with a light chuckle, "You know that me and Korra were having problems, why else do you think she went along with you oh so pathetically throwing yourself at her?" she said with a sickly sweet voice.

Kuvira stepped away from the car and began to stalk towards Asami, "She was sad and lonely and she wanted to take advantage of the first thing that was the easiest to take. Why else do you think she'd go for–" she eyed Asami up close, "–someone like you?"

Asami knew better, _should've_ knew better, but she couldn't stop the words from cutting her deep, because she knew the words had a hint of truth to them, and deep inside, Asami had believed them from the start. But Asami was better than her, so she stuck her chin out defiantly and chose not to give her the satisfaction of reacting.

But apparently Kuvira wasn't finished, "When will you understand that you will always be Plan B to her? Korra can play with you all she wants but in the end, she will _always_ come back to me," 

Kuvira's eyes glinted mischievously as she smirked, "Tell me, Asami." she said innocently with  _same_ smug look on her face, "Did you get wet watching Korra _fuck_ me—"

Then there was a sharp crack that echoed across the parking lot and a sharp, stinging pain across Asami's palm.

Maybe it was the expression on Kuvira's face or because she didn't want to be reminded of that night, or simply maybe Asami had reached her limit, it didn't matter which because it was enough to push her over the edge when she was already teetering on the boundaries of self-control. 

Kuvira's face turned back to Asami from where it was when it took the blow, but she didn't look  angry. No, she was smiling.

Asami realized she let Kuvira win, let her drag the worst out of her, let her make Asami lose the control she worked hard to maintain in a matter of minutes.

Suddenly Asami felt tired.

Asami had always tried to avoid drama as much as possible and here she was, right in the middle of it.

And she was tired of it. She was done. 

"Go fuck yourself," Asami said as she stepped around the girl and entered her car. 

She gunned the engine and soon she was off like a shot. 

Her hand still stung from when it took the brunt of the hit, her ears still rang from Kuvira's words, her eyes burned as the memory she tried so hard to forget flashed through her mind without consent.

But she felt numb. 

Because she was finally giving up.

\----------------------

Korra hesitated as she stood on Asami's balcony with her fist hovering inches from the door. She glanced at the horizon. The sun was settled low in the sky, but not quite a sunset yet. The dance wouldn't start for another hour.

She looked down at herself; she was fully dressed – a crisp white long sleeved button down underneath a form fitting deep blue vest with matching slacks – and couldn't help but feel disappointed that she wasn't going to spend prom night with someone she actually wanted to be with. Sure, she had her friends but it just wasn't the same. 

With a deep breath, Korra gathered her courage and knocked. She could hear shuffling from the inside and the door opened a few seconds later.

Asami stood behind the doorframe with a guarded expression on her face. Her position made it seem like she was blocking Korra from entering and it hurt; it hurt because before the mistake, Asami wouldn't have hesitated to let Korra in, but that clearly wasn't the case anymore.

Korra pursed her lips, suddenly questioning her intentions on why she went there, so she decided to speak from the heart, "I wish you were going," she said quietly, 

Asami shifted uncomfortably, "Korra, I can't," she said in a somewhat strained voice as she wrapped her arms around herself protectively.

 _Like she needs to protect herself from me_ , Korra thought sadly as she avoided Asami's gaze, "I know," she said quietly, "But that won't stop me from missing you," 

When she met Asami's eyes, Korra was surprised to find that Asami's expression was no longer guarded, instead she was the most vulnerable Korra remembered seeing her, "Korra, I—"

Asami seemed to want to say more but she was interrupted by a loud honk that echoed from the driveway. 

Korra peered over the edge of the walkway and saw Mako's car pull up in front of her house. She looked back up and her heart fell when she saw Asami had her walls raised again.

"You better get going," Asami whispered, "I have some things to do,"

Korra saw a pile of papers on Asami's bed, but she couldn't bring herself to care about them because all her focus was on the girl before her.

Korra wanted to fight, she wanted to find out what Asami was about to say because for the past three weeks, all Korra got was strained smiles and fake emotions but just a moment ago, Asami looked ready to open up to her, and Korra would be stupid to let that pass.

But she didn't want to push. _If_ they were making progress, then Korra didn't want to ruin that.

Korra sighed as she gave up, "So I'll see you tomorrow?" she asked as she stared at her longingly, hoping maybe Asami was finally ready to try again.

For some reason, Asami looked away from Korra with a guilty expression, "Yeah,"

Korra nodded before heading back to her room and she couldn't get rid of the feeling that Asami was lying.

\-------------------------

Asami peeked through her curtains as she watched the car pull away. The moment it was out of sight, she felt guilt settle deep in her bones. 

Korra's face flashed in her mind as she turned away from the window. She had looked so hopeful, her eyes alight with the possibility of them being okay again.

And Asami had blatantly lied to her.

She studied the letter she had addressed to Korra on the surface of her bed she had hoped would suffice as an explanation. No matter how much of her heart she poured in the letter, it suddenly seemed like it wasn't enough. She couldn't just give Korra a letter, because despite everything, Asami still thought Korra deserved the world. 

Asami took the picture on her bedside table in her hands. For as long as she could remember, that particular picture of her mother was always Asami's favorite. Her mother looked young and beautiful in her pearl white gown and whenever Asami kept the picture close, it was enough to push the bad memories away. She glanced at her closet hesitantly before steeling herself. 

If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right.

\----------------------------

Everyone was wrapped in each other's arms on the dance floor and all Korra had her hands wrapped around was a glass of punch.

It was pathetic really. Anyone who saw her standing alone by the bar while people slow danced around her would agree. She downed the cup and winced at the sweetness, _I could really go for a beer right now_ , she thought.

Korra flinched. Blindsided by the sudden flashback of the night of the party, she decided she would stay far away from alcohol for a _very_ long time. Alcohol never fixed problems; if anything, it made them worse.

If Korra had more self control that night, she might've actually had a certain someone with her right now. 

She sighed and let her eyes scan the room. She saw Bolin and Opal near the middle of the dance floor moving slowly to the music. Korra watched as the couple danced, looking content with just being in each other's arms. 

Korra's eyebrows flew up when she saw something she never thought she'd see. Near the corner of the room, Mako was in the arms of another boy and they looked happy; laughing and plain enjoying the each other's presence. And to think Korra thought he was interested in Asami.

She raised her glass in a salute for her friend, she was genuinely happy for him.

Suddenly, she had a nagging feeling in her chest. It made her heart flutter, then it traveled throughout every part of her body and a tingling sensation took control of her.

The feeling told her to move, to search, to turn around. 

Every face in the crowd turned to a specific direction, as if they were leading Korra's eyes to her target, but it wasn't like she needed it anyway. Her eyes were drawn magnetically to one person and her breath hitched at the sight. 

Korra always knew the girl was beautiful, but in that moment, beautiful seemed to be an understatement. 

Like a beacon in the darkness, Asami parted the sea of people as she strode through them in her white ball gown, it's surface shimmering against the spotlights that seemed to focus on her. She was searching for someone in the crowd and despite their distance for past few weeks, Korra knew she had to be by Asami's side.

Korra wasn't aware that she started to push through the crowd, she wasn't aware of the curses being sent her way when she bumped into people, she wasn't aware of the voice calling out her name from behind. No, all that mattered was Asami.

She was abruptly jerked to the side when her arm was grabbed in a strong grip. Korra could hear Kuvira trying to get her attention, but she couldn't care less because she saw Asami meet her gaze and that was all Korra needed. She shrugged off the hand and strode over to the girl with newfound motivation.

They met halfway, somehow meeting right in the middle of the dance floor and by then, Korra should've gotten past how much her breath was taken away.

From afar, Asami looked like a goddess; immaculately dressed in a gown that seemed to flow like water with every movement, her pale white skin was exposed enough to satisfy anyone's fantasies, her dark, curling hair cascading in waves down her shoulders.

But up close Korra found her even more beautiful.

Because up close Korra could see the same shy smile that she wanted to see every time she opened her eyes in the morning and every morning after that. She could see the green eyes that sparkled like they provided their own light, eyes that held so much power over Korra that they were capable of both building her up as well as destroying her, those eyes understood Korra from the surface and all the way to her deepest secrets and insecurities and saw Korra as the flawed human she was and accepted her wholeheartedly.

Korra realized she had been staring for the past minute when she saw Asami smile shyly at her.

"Hi," Korra said dumbly with a stupid smile.

Asami clearly took pleasure in her incoherence, judging by the way she gave out a light laugh, "Hello to you too," she said, eyes alight in amusement.

Korra shook her head to clear the cobwebs that somehow formed, finally registering that the girl was teasing her, "Sorry, it's just that— _wow_ , you look amazing— _not that you don't always look amazing_ — I uh—"

Korra could feel eyes on them but she couldn't bring herself to care because in that moment, Asami was almost like Korra remembered, laughing like the past three weeks never happened. Korra couldn't even be a little mad about being so blatantly laughed at, she was too busy reveling in the musical sound of Asami's laughter, drinking in as much as she could like she was caught in a drought and had found her oasis.

Eventually, the laughter died down and Asami smiled sweetly at her, "It's alright, Korra. No need to—" she started but cut herself off just as quickly as she started, staring over Korra's shoulder.

She followed her line of sight and at the end of it Korra found Kuvira, glaring daggers at them.

Korra turned back to Asami and her heart fell when she saw that the girl had raised her walls up again.

She was determined to see that Asami again tonight, "Let's head outside," Korra left no room for discussion, taking Asami's hand and pulling her to the doors. 

Outside was a whole new world compared to the ballroom. Inside, the room pulsed with different colors but outside everything was covered in a gentle gold, the sunset casting shadows over the arches intricately lined with vines above them and the fountain they settled on. 

They sat in comfortable silence, inches away from each other, their shoulders brushing every time one of them moved. Korra watched Asami, her skin bathing in gold light and she wished she could somehow immortalize the moment and never let it end, because there, in that precise moment, there was no pain, no doubt, no regrets and all they had was each other.

Korra couldn't stop herself and curiousity got the best of her, "I know you said you weren't mad, but I know it still hurt," she paused to consider her words, "Will you ever truly forgive me?"

Asami sighed and she closed her eyes, as if she knew it was going to come up but dreaded it all the same, "I have forgiven you, I have for a while now," she opened her eyes, her green eyes almost gold under the light but they still refused to meet Korra's, "But I haven't forgotten," she said as she turned to Korra.

Her regret must've been plain on her face because Asami took Korra's hand in her own, "You don't need to apologize Korra, because I know its my fault as well. It was unfair of me to avoid you when you were hurt. I realize now what me and Mako must've looked like,"

Korra shook her head quickly, "I shouldn't have assumed. I had no right to,"

Asami remained silent and they sat there for a while with their hands intertwined, watching as the sun sank slowly in the horizon and the gentle sound of running water from the fountain filled their ears. 

Music flowed from inside the ballroom and before Korra could second guess herself, she rose to her feet and pulled Asami along with her, letting the song wash over them.

_If you must wait, Wait for them here in my arms as I shake,_

Asami looked confused, but Korra gently took her hands into her own and placed them on her shoulders, all the while never cutting off eye contact as she waited for a protest. 

_If you must weep, Do it right here in my bed as I sleep,_

A feeling like fingertips dancing along Korra's spine spread through her when she felt Asami entwine her fingers together at the nape of Korra's neck.

_If you must mourn, my love, Mourn with the moon and the stars up above,_

Korra reluctantly placed her hands on Asami's hips, afraid that she would suddenly pull away. But Korra's fear disappeared as Asami stepped closer.

_If you must mourn, Don't do it alone,_

She reveled in how perfectly they fit together, like their bodies were designed for the other, and she never looked away from the emeralds before her as they moved.

_If you must leave, Leave as though fire burns under your feet,_

Everything else failed to exist around her because for Korra, Asami was all that mattered. 

_If you must speak, Speak every word as though it were unique,_

Before her courage left, Korra leaned forward and maybe she was imagining things, but for a moment, she thought Asami was as well.

_If you must die, sweetheart,_

Maybe she was imagining things.

_Die knowing your life was my life's best part,_

Korra thought she knew what heartbreak felt like, but she realized she never truly understood.

She hadn't realized that it felt like being shattered into a million shards, almost broken beyond repair. 

Korra never truly understood what it felt like until Asami stepped away from her. 

Asami looked away and refused to meet Korra's eyes, "I have to go,"

Korra shook her head incredulously as tears began to cloud her vision when Asami turned around to leave. Before she could stop herself, she called out in a voice she barely recognized as her own, "Will you ever let me in again?"

Somehow it was enough to make Asami look back and give Korra a sad smile, "Maybe one day," 

Korra felt the tears roll down her face as she helplessly watched Asami walk away, every particle screaming at her to chase after Asami.

But she couldn't.

Not without breaking her promise to give Asami the time she needed.

Asami would forgive her eventually, she had to. Korra would hold Asami to her promise of _One day_ ,

So why did it feel like a goodbye?

\----------------------------- 

Asami didn't dare look back as she walked away, because if she did, she knew wouldn't be able to gather enough courage to leave Korra again. 

She focused on each step she took because it was easier than to think she was making the biggest mistake of her life.

The cold wind stung her tear-stained cheeks as she replayed the look on Korra's face in her mind. She looked so broken and it made Asami feel worse knowing she was the one that caused it. 

Asami didn't have the courage to say goodbye, but she knew Korra understood, at least a little. She wished she was strong enough to seek closure. But she wasn't. 

Instead, she drew a shaky breath and whispered to the wind, "Don't forget me,"

\------------------------------------------------------

Korra suddenly shot upright on her bed, panting heavily as her eyes adjusted to the sunlight before they frantically scanned her surroundings. 

She just had the weirdest dream. She was running– no, _chasing_ after someone. It never seemed to end but as soon as Korra had lost sight of the person, she had awoken. 

Once she got her breathing under control, Korra slumped back against her pillows as she threw an arm over her eyes. She didn't know why she felt so panicked, it was just a dream. But she couldn't get rid of that somewhat familiar feeling in her chest. 

Korra immediately returned home after the dance ended. She just didn't feel up for the after-party, especially not after her encounter with—

 _Asami_. Korra shot back up, her senses suddenly alert as the nagging in her chest intensified. Whatever her subconscious was trying to tell her, it had something to do with the girl. 

She cringed when she remembered how she had reacted to Asami pulling away the night before. Korra decided she owed Asami an explanation.

Korra glanced at her clock, 5:48am. She figured she shouldn't disturb Asami that early in the morning, but it felt like her whole body was screaming for her to go find the girl. 

She eventually surrendered to her instincts and rose to her feet to walk over to her balcony door. But as she drew closer, she started to feel jumpy and anxious. Suddenly, she just _had_ to get to Asami.

Something was definitely wrong.

Her instincts pushing her, Korra's heart raced in her chest as she gripped the handle of Asami's door and nearly ripped the door off its hinges, somehow knowing that it would be unlocked. 

Korra didn't know what to expect when she entered the room.  

Everything of Asami's was gone. Except for the furniture, the room was completely stripped of anything that belonged to Asami. It was like she never was there in the first place. 

It was as if Korra wasn't in control of her body anymore, like she was merely an audience, watching her body calmly walk over to the only thing in the room Asami seemed to have left behind. She watched as she opened the envelope and read the clean script.

Suddenly Korra snapped back in her body and she was off like a shot as she ran into Asami's home. She ran and she ran until she found the only person who could give her a answers, Hiroshi Sato.

Korra found him in his study, nursing a cup of coffee as he read the morning paper. On a normal day, Korra would hesitate, realize that she was invading someone's home. 

But in that moment, she did not give a fuck. 

She burst into the room without breaking her stride, like she owned the place and Hiroshi was the unwelcomed guest. Korra didn't stop until she was face to face with the man who could be her only chance of finding Asami, "Where is she?" she said through gritted teeth.

Hiroshi barely looked fazed by Korra's sudden appearance, merely looking over the edge of his paper before setting it down with a sigh, as if he already expected this to happen. 

He interlaced his fingers in front of him as he stared at Korra. She felt his judging stare like her insides were being poked and prodded, "She's leaving because of you, you know," he stated flatly.

Korra felt her anger immediately die down and leak out of her, "I know," she said in a pained whisper. He was right, more than right, but that only strengthened her determination to fix it. 

"But that's why I need to know," she met his eyes with equal intensity behind them, "I need to make this right,"

Hiroshi stared at her for a few more seconds before he seemed to relent – muttering something about teenagers and their impulsiveness under his breath – as he opened his drawer and tossed a piece of paper toward Korra. She immediately picked it up and realized it was a flight receipt. It took nearly all of her self control to keep her from running out the door.

"She's going to Japan and you only have thirty minutes to stop her," Hiroshi seemed to hesitate, as if to question his decision, "You hurt her badly Korra. But I'm only telling you this because she's different – happier – when she's with you, and it's almost like her mother never left." he said in a strained voice and glassy eyes.

He drew a shaky breath, "Make it right; promise you'll never hurt her again, because God knows, seeing her happy is the only thing I could ask for,"

Korra nodded, "I will,"

Before she could stop herself, she circled the table between them and threw her arms around the older man. He seemed surprised at first, but seemed to melt into it.

After a moment, he pushed her back and held her by the shoulders, "Go,"

With a nod, Korra ran like her life depended on it. 

\------------------------------------------------------

Korra drove like death itself was behind her; narrowly missing stoplights, almost getting hit by a car or two. It was all too similar to her flashbacks, but she couldn't allow herself to get carried away, not now.

_By the time you read this, I might have already boarded._

Never taking her eyes off the road, Korra took out her phone and dialed in Asami. No answer, she cursed and called Mako. He picked up on the first few rings and Korra left no room for arguments, "Get to the airport in fifteen minutes," 

_I don't think I could have handled explaining this to you face to face, and I'm sorry._

Asami stood by the windows, trying to memorize everything that made this place home because she thinks nothing was ever going to change that. That place and the people in it would always be home to her no matter what.

_Please understand that this isn't your fault, but because it felt like the right decision to make._

Korra ran up to her trio of friends as they stood by the entrance, barely slowing down as she rushed past them, "Asami's leaving," she called over her shoulder as an explanation. She didn't need to look back to know they followed.

_Spending time with you has made me the happiest I can ever remember being._

Asami couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if she stayed. But she couldn't second guess herself now, she thought as the announcement of her plane now taking passengers echoed through the speakers. She glanced outside the window one last time before she turned to leave.

_You helped me understand that our pasts should not dictate our futures._

They were about to reach inspection and Korra knew time was of the essence, so she sped up and leapt over the barrier, ignoring the guards as they began to chase her.

_But even with that knowledge, I still can't stop the past from haunting my every step._

Asami walked over to the line taking in business class passengers. She glanced at the waiting area and saw a young backpacking couple patiently awaiting their turn to board. The boy planted a kiss on the girl's forehead and Asami's heart twisted at the sight.

_I can't stop the feeling inside me, telling me that I will only keep getting hurt if I stay._

Korra kept running and she didn't stop, not even when she heard Bolin scream, "Oops!" followed by the sound of bodies crashing to the floor and then a shout from Opal, "Go, Korra!"

_You've become a big part of my life, Korra, no matter how short our time together was._

Not for the first time in that morning, Asami questioned her decision. Her mind and body were telling her to leave, but her heart screamed for her to stay. She was torn and all she could do was stare longingly at the couple and couldn't help but wish she lived in an alternate universe, one where she and Korra were together.

_Maybe we're soul mates; time is irrelevant and we already knew each other from the moment our eyes met._

Korra reached the waiting area but there were too many gate terminals for her to search through. She looked at her watch, five minutes. Korra took out her phone and speed dialed Asami for the umpteenth time.

_But like Opal said, college is our fresh start, our chance to start anew. I want that, but I can't if I am constantly reminded of the past I wish to forget, because I am a coward when it comes to pain._

Asami felt her phone vibrate in pocket to find fifteen missed calls from the same person. Before she could turn her cheek, her phone began to ring as Korra's caller I.D. popped up on the screen. Her thumb hovered over the answer button, but she reluctantly rejected the call.

_Maybe we were meant to be together, but our circumstances now say otherwise, and it hurts to be with you when I can't be with you._

"Fuck!" Korra gave up as she shoved her phone back into her pocket and looked around the area. Suddenly she had an idea; it was a long shot, but it hasn't failed her yet.

_We can never truly escape the pain of our pasts, but if going our separate ways mean we both deal with less pain,_

Asami's heart weighed in her chest, heavy with regret but she forced herself to push through, because she believed it was the only way as she handed her tickets to the attendant. 

_Then I'm sorry, but maybe it's for the best._

Korra began to search through the crowd as she relied on the connection she knew they had. Hey eyes were drawn to a specific spot and if her eyes weren't deceiving her, Korra saw a familiar mane of raven black hair as she started to wade through the crowd.

_Maybe one day we'll find each other,_

Asami felt a tug in her chest, a feeling telling her to look back, to turn around.

_and maybe then we could try again._

"Asami!" she shouted over the noise of the crowd.

Like countless times before, their eyes met even through a sea of people and Korra couldn't help remember each time it happened as she pushed through the crowd, because nothing could stop her from reaching Asami. 

Korra ignored everything else because they didn't matter. She strode over to Asami without breaking her stride.

"Korra?" Asami turned around to fully face her, 

"I'm not letting you walk away this time," she said as she held Asami's face in her hands and crashed their lips together. 

Korra poured all her emotions into the kiss; the regret for the night of the party, the longing whenever Asami wasn't near, the pain when Asami pushed her away, the fear when she thought Asami had already left, but most of all, the love she felt for the girl before her. 

Korra reveled in the realization Asami was kissing her back. Maybe she was wrong; maybe Asami actually wanted her as much as she did.  

They pulled away eventually but they rested their foreheads together, neither willing to be too far from the other. 

Asami closed her eyes, "Korra," Asami whispered, "I want this, I really do, but—"

Korra shook her head, "Don't," she began, "Don't say it won't work, don't say _we_ won't work, because we won't know if we don't try."

"I have tried giving you time, thinking that you needed to heal on your own, but I only watched you drift farther away from me, so I can't let you go, not without knowing what we could've been together."

"I'm not saying it won't be hard, but when I'm with you, you make me want to change, you make me want to be better." she paused, "You understand me like no one else could, and I hope you feel the same."

She held Asami's face in her hands and looked directly into her eyes, "So please Asami, don't leave without trying, because I don't think I could live with it, knowing how I feel for you,"

Asami's breath hitched in her throat, she couldn't believe what Korra was saying.

Korra lowered her head to look directly into her eyes, "You make me want to live, to grow, to thrive, to love; and I don't think I could do those without you." she brushed away the tears that fell from Asami's eyes, "I love you, Asami Sato, nothing is ever going to change that,"

A sob escaped Asami's lips as more tears fell from her eyes, but for what seemed like a really long time, these were tears of joy and happiness. She nodded repeatedly and she couldn't seem to control the smile taking over her face, "I love you, too," she breathed out. 

Their lips met halfway, completely in sync like everything else they did together. Because Asami figured that was what love was, being completely in tune with your significant other. 

The kiss was salty with their mixed tears, but Asami found that she didn't care. 

Because unlike their kiss earlier, which was desperate and painful, this kiss was sweet and hopeful. This kiss was their promise to each other; promising to grow and move forward, promising to love each other with no limits, promising a future they would have together. 

They could hear whooping and cheering in the background, but none of that mattered, because their worlds revolved around each other and somehow they had only just realized it. 

Asami always felt like there was a part of her that was missing, a hole waiting to be filled so she could be complete. She realized that she had almost lost that piece forever when she walked away. But now she knew better, she was never letting go or she'd go down fighting of that was what it came down to. 

Because like two parts in a puzzle, it may seem like the pieces don't fit at first but you'll never know until you try. 

Asami opened her eyes to the beautiful sapphires she loved so much and she knew in the end, the pain was worth it. 

Perhaps their love was inevitable. There will always be something pushing them apart, but in the end, they'll always come back to each other.

Because they belonged to each other. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm really gonna miss writing this story. 
> 
> I hope this chapter did the whole fic justice. If not, punch me in the face. 
> 
> I hope you guys had as much fun as I did with this story. You guys are amazing readers and I'm gonna miss you all!
> 
> BTW, stick around because I might announce something in regards to the fate of this story *cough* epilogue *cough* 
> 
> As always (I'm really gonna miss saying this) all forms of feedback - kudos, comments and bookmarks - are appreciated! Seriously, I love all of you who leave feedback
> 
> Also I'd like to say I would've been totally screwed if not for the AMAZING illeaturbabies. I'm not even kidding. She's literally the best editor and she recommended the song, You by Keaton Henson, for the dance (we spent hours deciding take note haha) Read her work guys!


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> not an update sorry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry if I got your hopes up haha

So I was just about to fall asleep when I realized its supposedly update day tomorrow and I feel so bad to be honest because I STILL DONT HAVE AN UPDATE FOR YOU GUYS

The subscriber count is getting higher each day and it's making me feel even worse haha

I guess I just felt the need to apologize to you guys for keeping you all waiting. Life's been getting in the way a lot, especially cuz I just moved out of my home and into my new apartment (WOW ADULTHOOD) and I never found the time to write for either of my fics.

I swear I'll write soon. SWEAR BEAR. (I take swear bears very seriously just so you know)

And because I totally deserve it, feel free to shout at me at pugsofhousetargaryen.tumblr.com

Also if you wanna make sure I actually write something, go tell illeaturbabies to shout at me too at illeaturbabies.tumblr.com

she probably won't stop until I give in cuz she apparently has this need to constantly win (DONT EVEN DENY IT MEG) and seriously guys, if you haven't read her work, I STRONGLY suggest you do because her writing will have you clutching your chest because EMOTIONS

I'm open to suggestions for the epilogue if you have any! Anything you'd like to see, anything you want to happen, etc. I want you guys to be happy with the ending!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry again this isn't an update haha

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah... That was my attempt. 
> 
> Once again, I will continue if I get enough feedback.
> 
> To assure you, I already have a plan on what I want to happen. I kept this chapter as "oneshot-y" as possible just in case I don't continue it.
> 
> But I wanted to put the conflict so bad already. UGH.
> 
> But hey, if you guys want me to continue it, I'll be setting the plot by the second chapter, as well as a deeper look into their backstories and personalities.
> 
> You can follow me at pugsofhousetargaryen.tumblr.com


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